[清本源 x Gohobi Gallery] Doucai Tea Tray with Inner-Impressed Brocade Pattern and Bamboo & Rock Motif

This doucai tea tray is a composed study of order and spontaneity, where refined structure quietly supports literati expression, translating classical painting language into functional ceramic form.

The surface begins with an inner-impressed brocade ground, a subtle foundation created through moulding techniques reminiscent of ancient textile weaving. Scrolling foliage patterns flow like silk threads, while geometric key-fret motifs lend a sense of jade-like order. These fine, rhythmic impressions rise and fall gently beneath the glaze, evoking the hidden floral patterns of antique woven silk. This brocade layer does not seek attention, but instead provides a disciplined visual cadence that frames the central open window, much like a garden lattice revealing a carefully composed scene beyond.

Within this opening, bamboo and rock unfold as a tactile literati painting. The bamboo stalks are drawn in underglaze blue using centered brush strokes, their lines moving with the rhythm of running script. Each turn carries firmness and restraint, reflecting the long-held symbolism of bamboo as moral backbone and inner strength. The rocks are rendered with side-brush texture, layered in varying depths of cobalt blue, their surfaces appearing lean, weathered, and porous, echoing the classical appreciation of stone as “thin, transparent, perforated, and wrinkled.”

Over this underglaze structure, doucai enamel adds the final layer of spirit. Fresh green washes animate the bamboo leaves, their edges softly shifting into pale blue, capturing the translucency of new growth. Small red accents appear at the leaf tips like cinnabar moss, lending a sense of morning dew and quiet vitality. On the rocks, warm ochre tones are lightly brushed over the blue foundation, merging glaze and pigment into a surface that feels ancient, humane, and quietly expressive.

The result is a tea tray where disciplined pattern and free brushwork coexist in balance. The brocade ground offers composure and restraint, while the bamboo and stone introduce natural rhythm and character. Together, they create a setting that elevates the tea vessel placed upon it, transforming the tray from a supporting object into a contemplative surface in its own right.

Diameter: 16.1 cm
Height: 3.4 cm

The listed price is for one tea tray. Each piece is individually handcrafted, and subtle variations in impression depth, enamel tone, and brushwork are part of its unique character. Customers are welcome to request a private video viewing for a closer look. Orders are shipped using reused or recycled packaging wherever possible.

A tea tray shaped by weaving, brush, and glaze—where bamboo stands with quiet integrity, stone rests with ancient calm, and each tea session is framed by balance, texture, and literati grace.