The "Zifang Early Work: Zifanglu Zhou Yu Custom-Made Pearl-Gloss Plain Tea Set," a rare and museum-quality piece in the history of contemporary Taiwanese tea art and official kilns, is a testament to the legendary collaboration between two master craftsmen during the nascent stage of refined Taiwanese tea art in the 1980s.
In 1981, when Zifanglu was founded, its founder, Master Zhou Yu, was dedicated to promoting the "righteous, tranquil, pure, and rounded" Taiwanese literati tea ceremony. To realize his ideal tea ceremony aesthetics, Master Zhou Yu commissioned a custom-made tea set from Master Cai Xiaofang, who had recently established her renowned kiln, in the 1980s.
Pearl-Gloss Glaze (Pearl White/Shadow Blue Series): The "pearl-gloss" glaze used on this tea set is an extremely rare experimental monochrome glaze from Xiaofang Kiln's early period. When held up to the light, it emits a subtle, iridescent sheen, like a natural deep-sea pearl (similar to the transitional tones of Song Dynasty shadow blue or Ding ware white porcelain), its luster understated yet remarkably vibrant.
Simple and unadorned shape: The dimensions are approximately 10.5 cm in diameter and 6.7 cm in height. Compared to the later, more precise and streamlined cups No. 1, 2, and 3, this early piece has a stronger sense of hand-sculpted form, with more rounded and rustic lines, exhibiting a refined elegance within its simplicity.