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Jul 30th, '10, 18:51
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Dehua Peking Opera Mask Tea Set, Think Beijing, Britt

by britt » Jul 30th, '10, 18:51

I am very impressed with this product, the Peking Opera Mask tea set from Think Beijing. It is made of Blanc de Chine porcelain (Dehua) and is from Fujian province in mainland China. This is from an area where the Peking Opera is well known.

I have not stopped using this set since I received it five days ago. It is very well crafted and looks every bit as good as the product photos imply. It is an absolute bargain and has proven itself to be ideal for brewing a wide variety of Chinese green tea, as stated in the product description. This set has already replaced all of my gaiwans that were being used to brew green tea.

The lid fit and pour of this gaiwan is much better than average, based on my experience with several others from both Taiwan and China. I always had a strong dislike of gaiwans due to the mess they (or I) make, but the functionality of this set is superb.

With the Peking Opera mask theme, this set is also very entertaining to use.

This is one of the best tea ware purchases I have ever made. As an added bonus, I was not aware that this set included a very sturdy, high-quality gift box. I rate this set 5 stars for functionality and 5 stars for value.

Full Set:

http://s895.photobucket.com/albums/ac15 ... aMaskF.jpg

Pitcher:

http://s895.photobucket.com/albums/ac15 ... aMaskD.jpg

Gaiwan:

http://s895.photobucket.com/albums/ac15 ... aMaskE.jpg


A note on the vendor:

I always hesitate before placing an order with an unfamiliar vendor. It takes a lot to get me to hit the "buy" button the first time. Think Beijing was an exception. I was immediately impressed with the carefully selected product line. The effort that went into the website layout, product descriptions, and product videos show that these people care very much about what they're doing. This put me at ease, and I had no trouble hitting the "buy" button with confidence.

My first order arrived much quicker than I expected. It was meticulously packaged and arrived in perfect condition.

What's more important than good customer service during the sale? The customer service received after the sale. There was one very minor issue with my order that required an answer from the manufacturer. Think Beijing's customer service group responded as expected, contacted the manufacturer, and I had my answer very quickly. The manufacturer's response was also very positive and customer-oriented.

My first order with Think Beijing was one of the most positive online purchases I have ever made. Strong online customer-vendor relationships are rare nowadays, and it was a pleasure to receive some old-fashioned, customer-oriented service. Think Beijing treats its customers like they are important clients, not an order number, and this service is extended to us even on small orders like this one. Based on my first order, this is a 5 star vendor whom I highly recommend for its products and service!

http://www.thinkbeijing.com/index.php

Note: Some products have great videos as well as the standard product pictures, something I haven’t seen elsewhere.

The video on this page is very nicely done (product at the top, click read more, video is about half way down the page):

http://www.thinkbeijing.com/Gaiwan%2C-% ... %22-9.html

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Jul 31st, '10, 00:02
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Re: Dehua Peking Opera Mask Tea Set, Think Beijing, Britt

by Chip » Jul 31st, '10, 00:02

I really like the mask design of the Opera set. Thank you for posting the review. IRL, how much do the gaiwan and cups hold?

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Re: Dehua Peking Opera Mask Tea Set, Think Beijing, Britt

by Victoria » Jul 31st, '10, 12:23

It is a great set, and I'm really quite tempted, though I have
too many gaiwan as it is. But this one is quite unique and
a full set is a plus. Very nice.

I have seen more places using video and I think we will see
more its use in the future of advertising.

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Jul 31st, '10, 15:04
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Re: Dehua Peking Opera Mask Tea Set, Think Beijing, Britt

by britt » Jul 31st, '10, 15:04

Chip wrote:I really like the mask design of the Opera set. Thank you for posting the review. IRL, how much do the gaiwan and cups hold?
Yes, the mask design is unusual although I also have an Yixing with the Peking Opera mask on it.

My glass measuring cup doesn't measure low volumes so I poured 2 cups, filled to the rim, into it. The total was exactly 4 ounces, so 2 ounces per cup. Pouring the 4 ounces back into the gaiwan filled it not to the rim, but to the junction of the gaiwan cup and lid. So with the lid on, the gaiwan volume is 4 ounces.

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Jul 31st, '10, 15:11
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Re: Dehua Peking Opera Mask Tea Set, Think Beijing, Britt

by britt » Jul 31st, '10, 15:11

Victoria wrote:It is a great set, and I'm really quite tempted, though I have
too many gaiwan as it is. But this one is quite unique and
a full set is a plus. Very nice.

I have seen more places using video and I think we will see
more its use in the future of advertising.
I have to admit, as much as I dislike gaiwans, this set has converted me. The good pour, made even better by having a larger target to aim at (the pitcher) takes the frustration out of the process. I honestly have not used any other teaware (other than a matcha chawan in the morning) since I received this on Monday. Considering my refusal to regularly use a gaiwan in the past, this says a lot.

If I ever purchase another gaiwan, it will most likely be another full set with the pitcher. I've been considering the sansui (heaven, man, earth) Jingdezhen from the same vendor. It's about twice the price, though, but it does look very good.

I do like the product videos. I also like the way they film them on a tea table, something I haven't yet purchased.

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Jan 21st, '11, 18:35
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Re: Dehua Peking Opera Mask Tea Set, Think Beijing, Britt

by fire_snake » Jan 21st, '11, 18:35

Brilliant. Looks fantastic. I hope it's still available. I'm not a big fan of flowery-patterned porcelain - I prefer a more minimal look - but this is something I could really warm up to.

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Re: Dehua Peking Opera Mask Tea Set, Think Beijing, Britt

by chrl42 » Aug 10th, '14, 00:01

dehua is of major porcelain maker from fujian province its fame just next to jingdezhen..pretty good at making thinner wares which its whiteness can win the jingdezhen(low-firing?) :)

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