Gong Fu
Moon Rabbit is a mystical figure from Chinese culture. If you look up during the full moon, you'll see him with a mortar, pounding elixir of life. This 200ml Yixing Teapot, shaped like a Dragon Egg, will make a lovely addition to your gongfu tea set. Duan Ni Yixing clay (Zi Sha) has an excellent sand structure and does an amazing job filtering out impurities in water, allowing your tea to shine.
This Yun Si Fang teapot blends the aesthetics of round and square forms with a delicate, elegant design. It's a masterful combination of symmetry and fluidity — where the roundness meets the structure of the square. This 100ml wood-fired teapot is made from DuanNi ZiSha from Ben Shan – the original Yixing clay mines. DuanNi clay has an excellent sand structure to filter out impurities in water, helping the tea to really show itself.
Ren Yixin's 110ml "Persimmon" Shi Yuan Yixing Teapot is a stunning example of traditional yet innovative teapot creation. Crafted from highly prized ZhuNi clay from Zhao Zhuang Zhu, the teapot's smooth lines and harmonious shape strike a perfect balance between practicality and aesthetics. The teapot's deep scarlet and dark red color and its shape capture the essence of autumn, the beauty of nature, and the rich cultural history of China.
Xi Shi teapot from the finest ZhuNi Yixing clay is a piece of timeless elegance. Reminiscent of the legendary beauty of ancient China, this classical shape resembles Xi Shi's round face, the spout looks like a beautiful mouth, and the handle resembles her elegant hair bun. The size of 80ml makes it ideal for enjoying tea solo or with someone special, perfectly fitting into a pair of small Gong Fu Cha teacups. This Xi Shi teapot is designed to enhance the tea experience while adding a touch of elegance to your collection.
Qin Quan ("the right of Qin" or "the power of Qin") is one of the classical yixing shapes, named after Qin Shi Huang – the first emperor of unified China and founder of the Qin dynasty. This 180ml Yixing teapot with fast pour (16ml/sec) is made of Zi Ni – excellent clay to bring taste and aroma out of tea. The outside of the teapot is decorated with Hei Ni – another Yixing clay, with high iron content that turns black after firing. This Qin Quan features an exquisite pattern called Taotie.
Shui Ping is a timeless design piece. This 110ml teapot is made of 20-years aged purple clay, Zi Ni. Aging the clay is a lengthy procedure that takes the properties of the famous purple clay up a notch. Aging makes the clay more homogenous, improves air permeability and the compatibility of various components in the mud. And last but not least - it accounts for a warmer, more vibrant color and a better overall look and feel of the finished product.
Ju Lun is a classic shape dating back to the Qing Dynasty. Its popularity transcended China and reached Japan. The Japanese literati admired Ju Lun's elegant shape, seeing it as a symbol of the harmonious spirit of tea culture. This 120ml teapot features a slightly modernized classic shape. Crafted from Ben Shan ZiNi clay, it has a noticeable effect on tea. Its excellent pour speed allows great control of brewing.
This 140ml teapot is made of purple clay from the delta of the Yangtze River, aka Yixing clay or Zi Sha. Zi Ni clay is unique for its porosity and high iron content, which can significantly affect tea taste. The shape is the classical Xi Shi (西施). Xi Shi was a famous beauty of ancient China. The shape resembles her full round face, the spout looks like a mouth, gentle and graceful, and the handle resembles her elegant hair bun.
This 110ml handmade Chaozhou teapot is crafted in a classical Dragon Egg shape, caroled by Qing Dynasty poet Wu Dingme. Chaozhou clay, with its excellent heat-retaining properties, is high in iron oxide but less porous than Yixing ZiSha (primarily due to higher firing temperature) and is good at preserving tea's bright, floral notes. This teapot is a perfect match for your floral Dan Cong Oolongs.
This 120ml Si Ting porcelain teapot offers an unadulterated encounter with your tea. Being a non-reactive material, porcelain serves as a blank canvas, allowing the true taste of the tea to shine through. The thermal properties of porcelain are ideal for the more delicate, heat-sensitive teas like green, white, and yellow varieties.
What can be more enticing than watching rising steam, listening to crackling charcoal, boiling water, and a Chaozhou clay kettle clacking lid? The Chaozhou charcoal stove and clay kettle are a must-have if you are serious about Gong Fu Cha. It will transform the entire tea experience by taking it to the next level. Many argue that water boiled on the open fire in a clay kettle is so much better than the one boiled in a stainless steel electric kettle.
This graceful 140ml turquoise Gaiwan depicts white cranes — a symbol of longevity and peace in Chinese culture. When using a small tea infuser like a gaiwan, tea is brewed in concentrated quantities. This allows for full extraction of the tea's qualities. The glazed ceramic gaiwan is perfect for any type of tea.
A gaiwan, used for infusing tea leaves, allows the tea drinker to smell the aroma and observe the tea leaves unfurling. This 120ml Yixing Gaiwan is made of Zi Ni – ZiSha clay. Zi Ni has excellent porosity and heat-retaining properties that significantly improve the taste of tea.
A gaiwan, used for infusing tea leaves, allows the tea-drinker to smell the aroma, and to observe the tea leaves unfurling. This 110ml Porcelain Gaiwan is a perfect vessel to bring out the true taste and aroma of tea.
Exquisite 130ml Mutton Fat Jade Porcelain Gaiwan. Smooth to the touch and slightly translucent, this matte material will enhance your tea experience. It resembles a precious form of nephrite highly valued in Chinese culture. The handwritten calligraphy reads "一心问茶" (Yī Xīn Wèn Chá) — "Approach Tea With a Focused Heart." This phrase resonates with Zen philosophy and the practice of Gong Fu Cha.
This 130ml Heart Sutra Gaiwan, crafted from unglazed Dehua clay, features the intricate Heart Sutra etched on its exterior. Its design showcases a beautiful contrast between the interior and exterior colors, enhancing both the visual and tea-drinking experience.
This 130ml Silver-Lined Porcelain Gaiwan features a serene landscape with scholars in cobalt blue. The silver interior ensures even heating and softens water, enhancing the tea's sweet notes. The porcelain exterior protects your fingers from heat, making it both beautiful and practical for any tea session.
This unique 70ml gaiwan, crafted from high-iron Dehua clay, features a faceted design inspired by the angles of a rough diamond. The wood-firing process gives each piece its own unique glaze and texture, making it one of a kind. The size is perfect for solo-teaing. Created by A Jie, an amazing artist we met in Fujian, this gaiwan brings together centuries of ceramic tradition with a fresh, artistic perspective, adding a unique touch to a tea session.
This 170ml Iron-Gilded Aged Clay Shiboridashi features an antique bronze finish and retro elegance. Made from aged Dehua clay with a gilded iron glaze, it enhances tea's sweetness and aroma. The high-temperature reduction firing process gives it a distinctive and textured appearance.
Shiboridashi is a Japanese tea-brewing vessel adapted for high-end Japanese teas. Literally translated as "to squeeze out," this 110ml Shiboridashi will deliver all the umami that such teas possess. In Japanese culture, the white color symbolizes purity and relates to the spiritual world.
In the set: Yixing Teapot (Zi Sha: Zi Ni), and two sets of matching Yixing Clay Zi Ni Aroma Teacups. Compared to glass, porcelain, glazed teapots, or even other ZiSha clays, ZiNi clay enhances the flavors and aromas of tea.
In the set: Yixing Gaiwan (Zi Sha: Zi Ni), and two sets of Yixing Clay Zi Ni Aroma Teacups. Zi Ni's excellent porosity and heat-retaining properties work wonders in transforming the taste of tea, surpassing other materials like glass, porcelain, glazed teapots, or even other ZiSha clays.
At the heart of the Gong Fu Cha ceremony lies the gaiwan, a quintessential teaware piece that captures the essence of the tea leaves and brings out their best qualities. The delicate Chinese characters 静, 禅, 悟, 道 (Tranquility, Zen, Enlightenment, Tao) adorn this gaiwan's exterior, telling a story of serenity and self-discovery. To truly appreciate the delicate nuances of lighter teas such as green tea, white tea, and yellow tea, porcelain is the teaware material of choice.
This beautiful Gong Fu Tea Set depicts white cranes — a symbol of peace and longevity in Chinese culture. Throughout imperial times, cranes were depicted on the robes of officials to represent their rank. The greatest outcome of Chinese tea cannot be expected without a proper Gong Fu Cha Set.