Finally had a quiet morning where I could take tea out on my balcony, and the lighting was just right for pictures. Ended up trying out new teaware with an old favorite--Oriental Beauty from Taiwanteacrafts.
The gaiwan is by Hong Seong-Il, courtesy of Tead Off--and the first gaiwan I've ever actually owned. Normally I shy away from them for fear of scorched fingers and the fear of-horror of horrors--dropping a lid or worse. But this one was so beautiful I couldn't resist! My gaiwan-handling still isn't all that elegant, but it's very finely made, with just the right amount of lid-fit and lip on the cup.
This is a cup found on a road trip up to the local tulip festival. Sadly, we saw no tulips--they were early this year, and all that was left was bare fields. But in a little art show off the beaten path in Rexville Grange, I found this lovely cup by Dinah Snapes Stevens. She had other work that was more eye-catching, but I really liked the the subtle colors in this one--it reminds me of walking along the water's edge on a beach.
May 31st, '15, 12:36
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May 31st, '15, 13:07
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debunix
Jun 2nd, '15, 12:43
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Re: NEW! Official Teaware of the Day!
Thank you--I'm definitely learning how much fun higher-end teaware is to use. My TAD has no end in sight, I fear ...debunix wrote:Nice setup there with some really lovely teawares.
Re: NEW! Official Teaware of the Day!
Small, thick, and portable, a smooth-coated ceramic gaiwan with no "earth" saucer.
It has a convenience spout for minimal bubbling and trickling, and a courtesy filter in the rim of the lid.
The curved rim stays cool at high temperatures, while the lid keeps the heat perfectly and effectively holds the tea, and it is wide enough for the leaves to expand.
The design may or may not be Chinese. If it isn't, perhaps Japanese or Korean...?
It has a convenience spout for minimal bubbling and trickling, and a courtesy filter in the rim of the lid.
The curved rim stays cool at high temperatures, while the lid keeps the heat perfectly and effectively holds the tea, and it is wide enough for the leaves to expand.
The design may or may not be Chinese. If it isn't, perhaps Japanese or Korean...?
Jun 2nd, '15, 20:28
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Re: NEW! Official Teaware of the Day!
Easy to take with you anywhere. Good for two people. It's very affordable, too, only like $15 or $20 (depends). For an outside/travel/medium serving size gaiwan, it's a great choice. They can be found from different sources and a few different patterns/colors.debunix wrote:Looks very handy.
Re: NEW! Official Teaware of the Day!
Easy to take with you anywhere. Good for two people. It's very affordable, too, only like $15 or $20 (depends). For an outside/travel/medium serving size gaiwan, it's a great choice. They can be found from different sources and a few different patterns/colors.debunix wrote:Looks very handy.
Aug 21st, '15, 21:39
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hopeofdawn
Re: NEW! Official Teaware of the Day!
It's been one heck of a week at work. Tea to the rescue--nothing like a nice evening with the Game of Thrones score, some yuchi wild black and my favorite treebark pot ...
Re: NEW! Official Teaware of the Day!
Beautiful stuff, HoD!
I picked up a couple tea items at a local store today, including this nice washi canister. It was only 400 yen, which means really about $3. Woo!
I picked up a couple tea items at a local store today, including this nice washi canister. It was only 400 yen, which means really about $3. Woo!
Aug 22nd, '15, 11:51
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Re: NEW! Official Teaware of the Day!
Oh wow--I'm jealous! That's a gorgeous tea tin. Sadly, the only washi tea tins I can find around here are anywhere from $10-20 each ...
Aug 25th, '15, 10:06
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Re: NEW! Official Teaware of the Day!
A bit belated, but this was my tea-Monday ... thought I'd try my hand at an action shot, but I don't think I've quite mastered the art of taking a picture and pouring all at the same time.
For the curious, Hong Seong-il teapot, Reid Ozaki tea cup/mug, and darjeeling Gopaldhara.
For the curious, Hong Seong-il teapot, Reid Ozaki tea cup/mug, and darjeeling Gopaldhara.
Aug 25th, '15, 11:11
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Re: NEW! Official Teaware of the Day!
Lovely pieces. And the plate?hopeofdawn wrote:For the curious, Hong Seong-il teapot, Reid Ozaki tea cup/mug, and darjeeling Gopaldhara.
Aug 25th, '15, 13:08
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Re: NEW! Official Teaware of the Day!
The plate is actually a vintage German jewelry/knicknack tray I got off Ebay. I'm not sure if it's actually hand-painted or not, but I loved the look of it. Plus it was the perfect size for a small, lightweight tea tray, which is definitely something I needed.
Aug 25th, '15, 14:56
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Re: NEW! Official Teaware of the Day!
It was too lovely to not gets its own blurb, for sure.
The crackling on the Seong-Il pot is typical and wonderfully staining; wondering what the crackles on the snowflake cup will look like in time--imagining that they will be gorgeous!
The crackling on the Seong-Il pot is typical and wonderfully staining; wondering what the crackles on the snowflake cup will look like in time--imagining that they will be gorgeous!
Aug 26th, '15, 10:19
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Re: NEW! Official Teaware of the Day!
Oh definitely--I'm really looking forward to the changes. This is probably the most dramatic crackling of all my Seong-il ware--possibly because it's larger, so I tend to brew black tea in it more often.