When the snow of the Ming Dynasty rests on today's tea table, and the millennia-old porcelain charm meets the noble spirit of bamboo, the new "Ningzhi Chizhu Cup" from Tongxin She Teahouse arrives with the warmth of time, crafted exclusively for tea connoisseurs. This is not merely the launch of a new tea ware; it is a dialogue spanning ancient and modern eras, a gentle embrace of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary living, turning every tea-tasting moment into a heartfelt encounter with the passage of time.
The soul of the "Ningzhi Chizhu Cup" lies within its exquisitely smooth porcelain body. Made from premium kaolin clay sourced from Dehua, Fujian, it inherits the ancient firing techniques of the Ming Dynasty's "Chinese White" porcelain. Fired at a high temperature ranging from 1300℃ to 1400℃, it achieves the unique grease-like texture characteristic of "lard white" glaze. Hailed as the pinnacle of Chinese porcelain, this glaze is as smooth and delicate as solidified lard, free from any graininess or unevenness to the touch. Under sunlight, the glaze surface shimmers with a soft milky luster, resembling fresh snowfall on a winter night, pure and flawless. The dense porcelain body and excellent light transmittance inherent to Dehua white porcelain lend a soft glow to the cup walls when tea is poured, making the tea's color appear even more clear and translucent. Every inch of this porcelain body embodies the essence of the past: from the rise of Dehua's porcelain industry in the Tang Dynasty, to its prosperity during the Song and Yuan Dynasties when it was exported worldwide via the Maritime Silk Road, and finally to the artistic heights achieved by masters like He Chaozong in the Ming Dynasty – the legacy of a thousand years of porcelain-making craftsmanship is condensed within this tiny cup.
What truly captivates the eye on the cup's surface is the cluster of crimson bamboo stalks painted in fan hong (iron red) glaze. A classic overglaze color technique dating back to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, fan hong glaze is made from iron oxide, refined and fired at low temperatures to produce a rich, warm hue with an understated, elegant charm. Master artisans hand-paint each bamboo stalk onto the pristine porcelain surface: with fluid brushstrokes, the bamboo trunks stand tall and sturdy, while the leaves stretch freely, clustered or scattered, bending or reaching upward. Every stroke captures the vitality of the present moment, free from the rigidity of mass-produced designs. Bamboo has long been revered as one of the "Four Gentlemen" by literati and scholars, symbolizing integrity, resilience, and elegance. Zheng Banqiao, the renowned Qing Dynasty painter, once praised bamboo for its "slender yet unyielding grace, with every branch defying the snow and every node reaching for the sky." This touch of fan hong bamboo not only carries forward the cultural significance of bamboo patterns on ancient porcelain but also endows them with contemporary vitality, bringing the noble spirit of the gentleman to life on the cup.
The ingenuity of this tea ware is further revealed in its meticulous details. A brass rim encircles the cup's mouth, a timeless accent that bridges the gap between past and present. The cool metallic luster complements the warm, smooth glaze perfectly, reinforcing the cup's edge while adding a touch of vintage charm – as if framing this dialogue between ancient and modern with exquisite craftsmanship. With a capacity of 15ml, it is the ideal size for a "single-sip cup" in gongfu tea ceremonies. It holds just the right amount of tea essence, allowing the rich minerality of rock tea, the floral notes of Dancong oolong, and the mellow depth of Pu'er to burst forth on the palate in one perfect sip, enabling tea lovers to savor the delicate layers of flavor in every drop. Within this tiny space, it contains not only the mellow taste of tea but also the misty rain of Jiangnan, the elegance of ancient porcelain, and the purity of bamboo.
Designed as a set of five cups, it adds a touch of refined charm to any tea table setting. Whether enjoying a quiet moment of solitary tea tasting or gathering with friends around a warm stove, the five cups arranged in an artful display – their crimson bamboo patterns complementing each other and the brass rims gleaming softly – infuse the tea table with a blend of classic elegance and contemporary vitality. This is not the restoration of an old artifact; it is the rebirth of a time-honored porcelain body through the skilled hands of modern artisans. The grease-like lard white glaze is the snow of the Ming Dynasty, and the fan hong-painted bamboo is the breeze of today. In this harmonious fusion of ancient and modern, every time you raise the cup, it is a transcendent encounter across time and space.
As hot tea is poured into the grease-like porcelain cup, the aroma of tea mingles with the charm of the porcelain, while the bamboo patterns dance in the light. The "Ningzhi Chizhu Cup" from Tongxin She Teahouse takes the essence of a thousand years of Dehua white porcelain as its foundation, the time-honored fan hong glaze technique as its soul, and the noble spirit of bamboo as its inspiration. It brings traditional craftsmanship out of museums and into the daily tea rituals of tea lovers. More than just a tea cup, it is a work of art that embodies culture and aesthetics, turning every tea-tasting experience into a gentle journey through time – allowing you to savor the beautiful resonance between tradition and modernity with every sip that lingers on the lips and tongue.
👉 Key Highlights: Hand-painted fan hong crimson bamboo, each cup boasting a unique artistic charm
👉 Capacity: 15ml (optimal size for gongfu tea ceremonies)
👉 Set Configuration: A complete set of five cups, perfect for elevating your tea table elegance