Stoneware・Glaze・Wood-fired

Liao Guo Hua’s studio and hand-built wood kiln perch on a pastoral hillside in Nantou, deep in the heart of Taiwanese tea country. This proximity is tangible in his work. His reverence for tea craft, history, and ritual can be seen in the minimal aesthetic of his forms. His pots honor the unpredictable and mysterious play of fire and ash inherent to wood kilns, and allow tea to take the center stage.

A steep, vertical surface creates a tableau for the glaze of this bowl. It flows like a landscape across the pot, a forest of trees blanketed in snow. Iron rich fields rise like a dense mist, rippling and pulling in the heat of the kiln. These tactile spots contrast with the smoothness of the glaze, creating an arresting visual, and tactile, tension in the pot.

About Tea Bowls

In Taiwan, tea bowls are often used to drink loose leaf tea. It's quite simple and works wonders on most of our teas.

Simply warm a tea bowl, add tea leaves, and add water. We suggest using 1 to 2 grams less tea than our normal recommended dosage. Fill the bowl 2/3 of the way to the top. Pour a steady stream of water over the leaves to help them settle to the bottom. Steep until leaves have just opened. Sip, and add more water if necessary.

Usage and care: Hand-wash only, without soap or detergent.

Approximate dimensions: 75mm tall, 90mm diameter, 280ml・Artist: 廖國華