A lidless cup for focused tasting. The BOWLVAN Dehua jade porcelain tasting cup is a personal statement on the tea tray. Ice-jade porcelain reveals the tea's color. Each cup features unique hand-finished relief, making it the most personal and aesthetic object for your tea ceremony. Experience tea directly.
About Dehua Jade Porcelain: The Beauty of Ice-Jade
The Porcelain That Glows from Within
Our master cups are crafted from Dehua's finest ice-jade porcelain—a material prized for centuries in Fujian, the birthplace of "Blanc de Chine." This exceptional clay, fired at over 1300°C, transforms into a translucent, luminous body that seems to capture light like frozen water. When filled with tea, the cup itself becomes part of the experience: the amber liquor glows through the thin walls, revealing color and clarity in every sip.
Each piece is left deliberately unglazed. This isn't just an aesthetic choice—it's a commitment to purity. With no glazes, there are no heavy metals. The vitrified surface is dense, non-porous, and will never trap old tea flavors or harbor bacteria. A simple rinse is all it needs.
What makes these cups truly special is the hand-finished relief work. Every landscape, zodiac motif, or auspicious cloud is individually carved and refined by hand. As light moves across the surface, shadows shift and dance—turning a simple tea moment into something quietly extraordinary.
The Gongfu Way: Why a Small Cup Speaks Volumes
A gongfu tea cup—also known as a tasting cup or pin ming bei—is intentionally small. Most hold between 30ml and 90ml, not because you are meant to gulp, but because you are meant to pause. In the gongfu tradition, each pour yields just a few sips, inviting you to focus on aroma, temperature, and the subtle shifts in flavor across multiple infusions.
This size is not arbitrary. It aligns perfectly with the small teapots or gaiwans used in gongfu brewing, ensuring that every drop is enjoyed at its ideal moment. A smaller cup also cools the tea to a drinkable temperature faster, so you never wait too long—and never rush. It turns tea drinking from a hurried act into a deliberate ritual, one cup at a time.
Designed with Intention: Form Follows Function
You might notice that these tasting cups have no handles, no lids, and walls that are remarkably thin. Every detail serves a purpose.
No handle means your fingers touch the cup directly, giving you an immediate sense of the tea’s temperature. The traditional way to hold a gongfu cup—pinching the rim with thumb and middle finger, the index finger lightly resting—is both graceful and functional. It keeps your grip steady while the rim stays comfortably cool.
No lid because a tasting cup is for drinking, not brewing. Without a lid, the aroma rises freely, reaching your nose with every sip. The open top also makes it easy to appreciate the tea’s color against the pure white porcelain.
Thin walls are the signature of Dehua’s finest craftsmanship. A thin-walled cup allows the tea’s color to glow through, almost like stained glass. It also feels delicate against the lips—an understated luxury that turns an ordinary sip into a sensory moment.
A Cup That Knows You: The Personal Side of the Tea Tray
In a gongfu tea setup, the cups are often the most personal items on the table. While the teapot or gaiwan may be shared, each person typically has their own cup. That cup becomes an extension of the drinker—a small canvas for individual taste, whether through a zodiac relief, a bamboo motif, or a simple minimalist form.
For the host, offering a beautifully crafted cup is a gesture of respect. For the guest, receiving it is an invitation to slow down. And for those who enjoy tea alone, a favorite cup becomes a quiet companion—something that holds not just tea, but moments of calm in a busy day.
Whether you choose a cup with an auspicious cloud design, a thin-walled bamboo relief, or a zodiac that speaks to your story, you are selecting a piece that will sit beside you, pour after pour, for years to come.
Meet the Artist: Li Bin
Master of Dehua Jade Porcelain, Designer
Li Bin is a distinguished ceramic artist recognized as a Master of Chinese Ceramic Art and a Guardian of Intangible Cultural Heritage. With decades of dedication, he has devoted himself to mastering the five great kilns of Chinese ceramic tradition, with a particular passion for the Dehua kiln and the art of Tenmoku glaze transformation.
Li Bin brings both deep tradition and quiet innovation to every piece. His work spans Ru ware, white jade porcelain, Jun ware, and ice-jade porcelain—always seeking to refine form, texture, and function.
His award-winning piece Ru Ice Flower / Water Without Trace received Gold at the 2021 China Ceramic Art Competition. His Wooden Leaf Cup is held in the permanent collection of the National Ceramic Art Museum in Beijing. For his contributions to the field, he was honored with the title Chinese Ceramic Art Master.
Each cup in this collection reflects Li Bin's philosophy: that a vessel should be both artistically accomplished and genuinely usable—a piece you want to hold every day.
Gift-Ready Packaging
Presented with Care
Every master cup arrives in a premium collector's box, accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. The packaging is designed to protect the piece during transit and to present it beautifully—whether you're adding to your own collection or gifting someone special.
The certificate, signed and sealed, acknowledges the craftsmanship behind each piece and the hands that made it.
Unboxing Video
Experience the Craftsmanship
Watch an unboxing of our Dehua jade porcelain master cups. See the fine relief details, the luminous texture of ice-jade porcelain, and the thoughtful packaging that arrives ready to gift or cherish.
FAQ
Q: Are these cups safe for daily use?
Yes. All our cups are made from pure Dehua kaolin clay, fired at high temperatures, and left unglazed. They contain no lead, cadmium, or other heavy metals. The vitrified surface is non-porous, easy to clean, and will not absorb tea flavors or bacteria.
Q: What's the difference between ice-jade porcelain and mutton-fat jade porcelain?
Ice-jade porcelain is translucent with a cool, luminous quality—like light passing through frozen water. Mutton-fat jade porcelain has a warmer, creamier appearance with a smooth, almost unctuous texture. Both are expressions of Dehua's finest clays.
Q: Do I need to season or cure these cups before use?
No. A simple rinse with warm water is all that's needed. Because the cups are unglazed but fully vitrified, they require no special treatment.
Q: Are the relief designs hand-carved?
Each piece begins with master carving, followed by individual hand-finishing. While the form may be produced in limited series, the final surface details are refined by hand—making every cup unique.
Q: Can these cups be used with boiling water?
Yes. These cups are fired at over 1300°C and are designed specifically for gongfu tea brewing. They handle boiling water with ease.
Q: Is the cup microwave and dishwasher safe?
We recommend hand-washing to preserve the beauty of the relief details. While the porcelain itself is durable, the hand-finished surface is best cared for with gentle cleaning.
Q: What are the different cup shapes, and how do they affect the tea experience?
Different shapes subtly change how you experience tea:
Straight-walled cups concentrate aroma well and are ideal for highly fragrant teas like oolong.
Flared-rim cups (also called pie kou) allow the tea to cool slightly faster and offer a comfortable lip feel.
Dome-shaped or deep-bellied cups retain heat longer, suited for teas that benefit from sustained warmth, such as aged puerh.
Wide, shallow cups like the douli (bamboo hat) shape are excellent for observing tea color and clarity.
All our cups are designed with these nuances in mind, so you can choose based on the teas you most enjoy.
Q: Do I need to boil or “season” these cups like traditional gongfu tea drinkers do?
In traditional gongfu practice, cups are often rinsed with boiling water before each session. This is less about “seasoning” and more about warming the cup so that hot tea doesn’t lose temperature upon contact, and cleansing in a ritual that also signals hospitality.
Our unglazed, vitrified porcelain does not absorb flavors, so you never need to season it like clayware. A simple rinse with hot water before use is plenty—it warms the cup and refreshes it for your tea. If you wish to follow the traditional style, you can certainly place the cups in a cha xi (tea basin) and pour boiling water over them; it’s a beautiful part of the ceremony, but not a requirement for the cup’s performance or longevity.
Q: Are thin-walled cups fragile?
Thin-walled porcelain is more delicate than thick stoneware, but it is by no means fragile when made properly. Dehua’s ice-jade porcelain is fired at temperatures exceeding 1300°C, which vitrifies the clay into a dense, strong body. With normal, careful use—hand-washing and storing without stacking heavy items on top—these cups will last for many years.
We recommend treating them with the same mindful attention you give to your tea: handle gently, rinse with warm water, and enjoy the lightness that makes them a joy to hold. If you ever have an accident, contact us—we’re happy to help.