Looking for Gaiwan with glazed edge on lid

[teaisme]

Hi the gaiwans I see for sale/own have no glazing on the edge of the lid
Is this a standard thing? I am looking for one that is glazed on the edge of the lid, anyone have one? Where did you get it?

I would prefer a simple white porc one, 80-140 ml, not celadon.
Thanks !

[debunix]

All the simple porcelain gaiwans at my local chinatown tea store are fully glazed. There are some red clay or black clay versions with only interior glaze, but those are the exceptions, and not the rule.

Unfortunately, they don't sell these very inexpensive gaiwans ($2.99-4.99 apiece) on their web site, www.birdpick.com.

[wyardley]

I think the OP is talking about the very edge of the lid. Sometimes that part isn't glazed, even if the entire gaiwan is. I haven't looked in much detail at the Wing Hop Fung / Bird Pick ones recently (btw, you can get the same stuff as Bird Pick for cheaper at WHF) ones, but I'm pretty sure the underside of the edge is unglazed on both. Also, the patterns are mostly hideous, and the quality / ease of handling isn't really there. Low price is really the best selling point. The more expensive ones are nicer, but they only come in complete sets that start around $50 US.

To the OP: what are you concerned about exactly - the noise that it makes when it touches the glazed part of the gaiwan? Staining?

As best I can tell, the lid of the Tea Gallery ones mentioned elsewhere in this forum are glazed more or less completely. The porcelain on porcelain scraping sound can be a little unpleasant sometimes, but I can vouch for their quality and construction. The price is a little high for what it is, but the quality is good. I have all 3 sizes, and 2 of the smallest size. However, if you're not in the US (which I seem to remember), it might be difficult or expensive to ship there, even if they're doing international stuff now.

[teaisme]

I am actually in the US, good old kentucky, no WHF shop though that's for sure

To the OP: what are you concerned about exactly - the noise that it makes when it touches the glazed part of the gaiwan?

Spot on, I don't like that grainy sound/feel I get sometimes

Thanks I will look into the ones from tea gallery and whf.

[wyardley]

Well the TG one also occasionally makes a (slightly different) unpleasant sound, so might not be what you're looking for. The edge is delicate, and usually there's no sound, but if you do scrape it the wrong way, it's definitely a nails-on-chalkboard kind of thing.

There are a few other things you could try - I will check a couple that I have at home to see how the edge is. But I think some of it may have to do with a few other factors -- especially the thinness / thickness of the lid -- more than the glazed edge or not. And overall, while I have some nice gaiwans that do have unpleasant sounds / feelings, the really cheap (cheap quality, not necessary retail price) ones tend to be worse in this regard.

[wyardley]

You know, I checked at home, and I think there is an unglazed bit after all on at least the larger 2 sizes of the Tea Gallery one. The small (60 ml) one seems to be unglazed on the knob, but glazed on the edge of the lid.

The Feng Qing ones that Hou De is selling might work for you if you don't mind a heavier / thicker gaiwan. To me, not quite as comfortable in the hand, but they are pretty well made, solid. The edge of the lid is extremely round and smooth.

I have some eggshell ones from Best Tea House (first two photos in http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?p=91480#p91480) which I believe are glazed even on the edge, and are still more delicate. I don't know if they still carry them, and they're in the $30-40 price range IIRC.
See also:
http://www.besttea.com.hk/tea_ware_2.htm

I also have a Phoenix Pattern from Jing (the one in China), and my girlfriend has a similar one from them with a flower pattern; the edge of both of the lids is fairly smooth. Phoenix one is out of stock, and they don't seem to have the same flower one they had before.
http://www.jingteashop.com/cat-jing-tea-shop-gaiwan.cfm
Overall, I think they often have pretty decent quality porcelain, and might be able to find you something specific if you email them.

[bearsbearsbears]

...gaiwans...no glazing on the edge of the lid
Is this a standard thing? I am looking for one that is glazed on the edge of the lid, anyone have one? Where did you get it?

Yes, it's standard. Some part of every pottery piece must be left unglazed so the piece doesn't stick to the kiln when it's fired. For most pieces, the foot of the piece is left unglazed. For most gaiwan with knobbed lids, the very edge of the lid is left unglazed.

Some gaiwans, particularly in the Ming style, have ring-style knobs, more like feet. This knob ring is left unglazed, and the lid is fired on its knob ring. Here's a pic of my Ming-style gaiwan, you can see the ring is left unglazed:



Such a style of gaiwan is your best bet for a fully glazed lid edge.

[chicagopotter]

Honestly I think you are going to be hard pressed to find a completely glazed gaiwan lid. The reason for this is that during a high firing (such as needed for porcelain) the lid will sit on that particular edge on the kiln shelf. Porcelain is much more prone to warping during firing, so sitting it on the widest part of the piece (as opposed to the lid knob) will keep the warp to a minimum. A higher quality gaiwan should have that edge ground down post firing so that it is much smoother and flatter.

Of course I could be totally wrong, and you may find a piece that was fired on the lid knob...http://www.myteastories.com/2009/09/qin ... elain.html

I have this one from Pure Puer Tea: http://purepuer.com/puer_tea/do/product ... w%20Gaiwan. The lid edge is not glazed, but has been ground smooth. Can't say enough great things about this piece!

You could always go with glass...

yeah, what Jason said!

[teaisme]

You could always go with glass...

Yes that is a good point, it slipped my mind, but I do think my preference is porcelain

I have this one from Pure Puer Tea

Thanks, good site

Thanks people for the helpful info on pottery, looks like a gaiwan with a unglazed knob ring is close to the answer I am looking for. The search continues.