Show Off Your Pots and Cups V

[chamekke]

BTW, did you see the blue pearl gift set from Victoria's link? Very pretty!

No, I missed that. {groan} What a temptation! Is it Christmastime yet?

[chamekke]

Last week, at the infamous consignment shop, I actually found what I now suppose may be a gaiwan (not the ruffly kind) with the ridged type of pouring spout.

Looks gaiwanesque to me. And actually quite a lovely one! esp with those beautiful leaves inside.

Thank you for the identification! It's actually grown on me now. Perhaps there was something about seeing it through the lens of the camera. It wasn't what I had been looking for, but now I really like it

The traditional style is the type you ordered from Hou De, but the one Victoria referenced at TeaSpring is a modified style as is your consignment shop one. Do you find all these treasures in the same consignment shop? This consignment shop story of yours is getting a little hard to believe.

I really do. It's a large shop, and it actually has a permanent Asian section, most of which is touristy/mass-produced stuff and not especially interesting. But every so often, something special shows up. This particular piece was not in the Asian section, nor was it in the teapots and teacups section. It was tucked in with the planters!

Incidentally, I only find something worth buying perhaps once out of every ten visits. It's a matter of persistence, if not perpetual hope.

To add to your confusion, gaiwans can have many shape characteristics, so one person will prefer a more tapered shape while another might prefer a more chunky profile, as well as varying thickness of the porcelain, the thinnest dissipating heat more rapidly and so being good for greens and the thickest retaining heat that is thought to be good for yancha and puerh.

Well, the one I've ordered from Hou De is thinner and presumably suitable for the lighter teas and greens, but this one is definitely on the thicker side. It worked perfectly for the yancha, at least.

Personally, I think it is pretty clear that this variety is perpetrated by the gaiwan cartel to lure us into owning many.

It is an evil conspiracy. And so attractively evil, too. {contemplates broodingly}

[Geekgirl]

I believe that is what is called a Gai bei

I believe you are wrong.

Darn it. I was so close too.

[olivierco]

Hey, I have a question which may be related.

Last week, at the infamous consignment shop, I actually found what I now suppose may be a gaiwan (not the ruffly kind) with the ridged type of pouring spout. At the time, I thought it was an inexpensive gyokuro-style houhin, except that the knob on the lid doesn't look right for that. However, there are so many styles of houhin and kyuusu that I couldn't be sure. On the other hand, the stamp on the bottom gives me the impression that it is Chinese.

Can anyone identify this little beast? (sorry for the crap quality of the photos... my electronic camera is on its last legs and I'm now having difficulties with focus and exposure)

Looks like a houhin (perhaps a shiboridashi) to me. I saw some on ebay.


This one is sold by rishi, same kind of spout anyway.

[chamekke]

I believe that is what is called a Gai bei

I believe you are wrong.

Darn it. I was so close too.

Yeah, but look, now I know a new term for gaiwan. So I'm happy.

[chamekke]

Looks like a houhin (perhaps a shiboridashi) to me. I saw some on ebay.

This one is sold by rishi, same kind of spout anyway.

Yes, it was the spout that made me assume it was a houhin... at first.

Hmm, very mysterious. I don't suppose anyone here can read the characters on the bottom? That might allow me to look it up on the Web and resolve the mystery.

[olivierco]

I found some sold by horaido

[Salsero]

I don't know houhin from hohum, but does a houhin have the teeth?

[chamekke]

I don't know houhin from hohum, but does a houhin have the teeth?

If you mean those little ridges - no, not always.

Try a Google image search using the hiragana for houhin and you'll see all kinds of houhin. For what it's worth, more of them seem to have a little circle (or oval) of holes in the side of the vessel, serving to strain the tea before it pours out of the spout. The open, ridged spout, the kind that I think you're talking about, seems to feature less frequently.

But perhaps you mean something else by "teeth"?

P.S. The ridged spout does seem to occur more frequently on the type of vessel that Olivier calls shiboridashi (絞り淹し).

[chamekke]

Love your girlwan! It really is pretty. Can't wait to see the at home pics.

Henley, where do you come up with these? Very funny indeed. I also hope to see some home photos of this little sweetheart.

Ahem:

It's official. I gave in, and bought a gaiwan for my furtive oolong needs. And here's the photo. It's a Crystalline-glazed Gaiwan of Emerald Green (more of a girlwan if you ask me), ordered from Hou De and now on its way.

Actually, this coinage must have been used before by somebody. Like "pumidor", it seems obvious once you say it.

We may just need to start compiling our own glossary.

[Salsero]

Ahem:
...
Actually, this coinage must have been used before by somebody.
...

We may just need to start compiling our own glossary.

Apologies to both parties whom I have aggrieved in one fell maladroit compliment! I am aiming for a new standard in social dis-grace.

Yes, by teeth I meant ridges, holes, something to strain out the leaves. Maybe it really is a houhin, now that I have looked at so many on google, I am all agoogle-eyed. Still, it lookes gaiwanesque to me, but I'm starting to think that may be mere personal prejudice. PM a photo of the bottom (the pot's not yours...he's on his honeymoon after all) to MarshalN. He is Chinese and knows Japanese. He may be able to tell from the lettering or something.

Henley, I still think your jokes, etc are most entertaining. Forgive my erroneous attribution on this one.

As long as we are straightening out creative rights, BTW, I lay claim to inventing oolongian ... actually starting out in the plural, oolongians in a post title.

Again, I throw myself on the mercy of the court in regards to my faux pas.






*Glossary, yes. Who will be glossarian?*

[Geekgirl]

*Glossary, yes. Who will be glossarian?*

Shouldn't that be "glossologist?"

[henley]

*Glossary, yes. Who will be glossarian?*

Shouldn't that be "glossologist?"

Wouldn't the "glossarian" be the person responsible for gathering & maintaining the glossary while the "glossologist" would be the person who studies & catalogs the words placed in the glossary?

And BTW, wish I could take credit for girlwan. I was just smart enough to copy it.

[Geekgirl]

*Glossary, yes. Who will be glossarian?*

Shouldn't that be "glossologist?"

Wouldn't the "glossarian" be the person responsible for gathering & maintaining the glossary while the "glossologist" would be the person who studies & catalogs the words placed in the glossary?

*head explodes*

[Victoria]

BTW, did you see the blue pearl gift set from Victoria's link? Very pretty!

No, I missed that. {groan} What a temptation! Is it Christmastime yet?

Oy!! Loved the SHAPE of the bowls in that set, but I have the gaiwan already. Darn. But I ordered 2 of the 120ml cup and they have a nice feel.