Chinese wood fired dragon kilns have been a part of the history of ceramics for thousands of years. Their history may trace back to the Shang Dynasty (1600 to 1046 BC). Dragon kilns are large industrial scale kilns that stretch up the side of a hill. There are many chambers that are wood fired in sequence. Visually they resemble the spine of a dragon.

During the Song Dynasty they began to use these kilns for teaware. The inconsistent wood fired heat in the kilns makes it hard to reliably fire delicate teaware. Legit dragon kiln fired teaware is really hard to find. In these modern times the Chinese government heavily restricts their use. At most they fired ceremonially once a year. Yunnan only has a couple functioning dragon kilns. Jianshui has one and Huaning has another. These cups were fired in the Huaning dragon kiln.

These cups were fired about a decade ago. We purchased them around that time from the owner of the dragon kiln and we've stored them ever since. As far as we know these were the last teacups they fired in that dragon kiln. We bought all they had in a single batch. This year we took the time to sort through them and categorize them into 4 grades.

Most of these cups have very little value to collectors in China. We love these cups. It's so difficult for us to see pieces of history like this being discarded and not appreciated. These represent the old ways of Chinese ceramics and have strong historical significance. 

Here is a breakdown of the 4 grades:

• Grade 4: These cups suffered the worst of the inconsistent kiln heat. The glaze got too hot in many areas causing bubbling and burnt textures both inside and outside the cups. Some of these cups could be used for tea but most are best used as a decoration.
• Grade 3: These cups fared better than grade 4 but still exhibit glaze bubbling and rough texture. The inside of the cups has a consistent glaze texture and would be suited for drinking tea. The outside texture will be rough and show glaze bubbling.
• Grade 2: These cups are pretty decent. These are really great little cups! There will be minimal glaze bubbling and a consistent texture. These are perfect for your gongfu tea sessions
• Grade 1: These are the exceptional cups that displayed unique glaze colors and fared the best with nearly perfect texture. These are not available yet and will be sold on an individual basis. [ Not yet available ] 

There are 5 shapes available. When they're gone they are gone. We have more of some shapes than others. 

Huaning ( 华宁 ) is a town in Yunnan province with a long history of ceramics. The locals harvest clay from the nearby hills. They source available minerals and hand blend their own glazes. Intense blues and greens are a common theme. These provide a beautiful contrast to both their white clay and the deep red of their iron rich clay.

We appreciate the connection this teaware has with Yunnan and puerh tea. Puerh is a product of the soil and hands of Yunnan, and so is this teaware.