Knife-cut Stoneware・Glazed・Wood-fired

A distinct reverence for tea drinking drives the work of Taiwanese master potter, Zhang Yun Cheng. His home sits in the hills of Nantou County, surrounded on all sides by tea gardens, a rich tableau of green and misty grey. In his latest series for Song Tea, the relationship between craft, culture, and context is directly reflected in the surface of the pots. While this tea bowl is unglazed, a lustrous patina catches in the light, the result of post-firing seasoning in tea.

Tactile shino glaze crawls over body of this pot, creating a surface that invites investigation and touch. A earthen-toned cream where the glaze is thickest gives way to burnt umber, mottled with blooms of iron from the stoneware clay. This is a pot for two hands, or the ritual of a tea ceremony where the turning of the pot highlights the visual intrigue of the surface. Two subtle brown marks near the foot, show the hand of the artist as held this piece for glazing.

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: 85mm tall, 113mm diameter, 360ml・Artist: 張允澄