Straw Yellow Gaiwan

A beautiful one-of-a-kind gaiwan crafted by Jingdezhen ceramicist Wang Xinghua. The gaiwan has an unique straw yellow/grey glaze that Wang formulated himself.

This gaiwan is part of our 2022 commission from Wang, for which he crafted 15 gaiwans, 10 pitchers, and 16 tea cups over the course of 3 months. 

Wang uses his own special formulation of Jingdezhen clay and porcelain for these pieces. Each piece is thrown on a wheel and then shaped by hand. After being bisqued at 800°C, they are treated with natural glazes that Wang has formulated for them, and then reduction-fired at 1300°C.

We have long admired Wang’s ceramics for being rooted in daily life: his adept craftsmanship is dedicated to making something very simple, and a large part of his pottery’s elegance is in how well it functions. This holds true on every level of detail: beyond how the lid and cup might fit perfectly together, into how they sit so comfortably in the hand of the person making tea, or how the wet leaves vividly appear against the matte-white glaze of the vessel.  These pieces are meant to be used every day, for many years, and have an aesthetic warmth to them that indicates this – an inviting quality well suited to vessels, and that we may best describe as “open.”

We have been using Wang’s gaiwans at our tea bar since Cultivate opened, and our love and appreciation for them has grown profoundly over time. 

** Please note that, as each gaiwan is made by hand and naturally fired, they differ slightly in size, shape, colorations, and tone. The actual item you receive may have slight variations to the one photographed; these variations are an intentional part of this collection. 

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Dimensions
⌀: 93 mm
H: 52 mm without lid
H: 65 mm to top point of lid

The gaiwans have a beautiful and harmonious presence. The elegant forms and organic color tones are delightful to look at, to contemplate and reflect on. The neutral glaze on the inside beautifully highlights the tea leaves as they are brewing - it is a pleasure to use for everyday tea making.

We have been using his gaiwans at our tea bar from the beginning and our love and appreciation for them have grown profoundly.

He throws the gaiwans on the potter’s wheel and shapes each gaiwan by hand from his own special formulation of Jingdezhen clay and porcelain clay. After bisque firing at 800°C, he applies his own glazes by hand. The gaiwans are then reduction-fired at 1300°C.