Hsiao Fang Pottery Arts | Hand-Painted Blue and White with Underglaze Red Orchid Pair Set
Master Tsai Hsiao-fang / Taipei, Taiwan
Provenance
The cobalt blue glaze is elegant and refined, while the copper glaze is warm and lustrous. Both are applied to a delicate, pure white porcelain body and fired together in a reducing flame at 1300 degrees Celsius. Copper red is highly volatile, and even slight variations in firing temperature will result in distortion. Master Tsai Hsiao-fang, inheriting the techniques of the Chenghua and Kangxi imperial kilns, skillfully uses the tip of her brush to paint five shades of ink on the small cup, creating a subtle and elegant orchid in a secluded valley.
Form and Aesthetics at the Feast
Straight Mouth and Deep Body – Concentrating Fragrance: The tall, narrow, and slender aroma-concentrating cup is designed specifically to capture the roasted notes and floral and fruity aromas of high-quality oolong tea. As the tea liquor falls into the tasting cup, steam rises from the inner wall, locking in the deep aroma at the bottom of the cup.
Paired cups – the proper order of the tea ceremony: one to smell the aroma, one to sip. The varying heights of the hands holding the cups create a focused and tranquil rhythm for tea tasting at the table.
Utensil Specifications
Author/Workshop: Hsiao Fang Pottery Arts
Craftsmanship: High-temperature reduction firing (approx. 1300°C) / Hand-painted blue and white underglaze red / Original ore white porcelain
Specifications: Gift set of two cups: a tall, deep, narrow-mouthed aroma cup and a tasting cup (slightly flared).
Capacity: Approx. 35–45 ml
Suitable Tea Sets: Strongly aromatic high-mountain oolong, aged Dongding tea, Oriental Beauty tea, and Wuyi rock tea
"An orchid grows in the front courtyard, its fragrance awaiting the gentle breeze."
Before the warmth dissipates from the bottom of the cup, the ink of the orchid and the lingering aroma of the tea meet perfectly in the palm of my hand.