These are really special gaiwans. We worked with the potters who helped us make our carved and wood fired cups last year to create these. Each gaiwan features the same carved texture exterior that our customs cups had. These are really cool to hold and use. The texture adds a refined elegance to the gaiwan shape. Each of the three gaiwan parts, the plate, the bowl, and the lid have been carved by hand.

We really love Jianshui clay. It has a purity and soul that comes through the tea session. Jianshui clay is amazing to brew with. We believe the quality of the clay speaks for itself. 

These are each handmade by a group of artists who work together. They are single fired and unglazed. This is a true clay which lacks any sand. The natural minerals in the clay will enhance the flavor of your tea. Jianshui is in Yunnan, and the clay used in these teapots comes from the same mountains that grow puerh tea trees. We appreciate that connection. We blogged about this unique town here.

Since these are handmade products each are unique. There are slight variations to each.

This gaiwan is polished black, Jianshui clay and is 130ml. They measure on average 9.5cm Wide x 8cm Tall. The plate measures 11cm Wide by 2cm Tall.

These gaiwans were polished with an olive oil coating to make them look shiny. We tried to remove as much as we could. Please wash them with hot water before use.

Tea Towel and Travel Bag

We are offering embroidered bags and a tea towel for $10 more. You can wrap the gaiwan saucer, bowl, and lid in the tea towel and carry it in the bag. This is how we carry these around for tea tastings and it makes for a real efficient travel setup. You can see in the pictures how to wrap it up.

Check out our video series from Jianshui: