[清本源 x Gohobi Gallery] Thin-Body Blue Glazed Gaiwan with Alun-Red Butterfly Painting – Ice-Plum Inner Window Design (130ml)

This thin-body porcelain gaiwan is a refined convergence of clarity, craftsmanship, and auspicious symbolism, where traditional ceramic techniques are reinterpreted through a contemporary sense of restraint and poetic depth.

The sky-blue glaze is pure and luminous, as if Jiangnan’s spring sky has been gently gathered and sealed upon porcelain. Even and translucent, the surface releases a soft, jade-like warmth under light, recalling morning dew resting on fresh bamboo leaves. Achieved through high-temperature coloured glaze firing, this tone demands exceptional precision in kiln temperature and atmosphere control. Any deviation would disrupt its clarity. Each successful firing is therefore a precise meeting of fire and earth, with every inch of glaze bearing the quiet imprint of disciplined craftsmanship.

Across the exterior, alun-red painted butterflies appear in lively and varied postures. Some seem poised mid-flight, their wing tips edged with fine golden accents that shimmer subtly in the light; others rest gently upon the glaze, their wing patterns rendered with meticulous brushwork, as if ready to lift and glide across the tea surface at any moment. In Chinese tradition, butterflies are a homophone for “fortune multiplied” (福迭), symbolising blessings that arrive again and again. Their transformation from cocoon to flight further represents renewal, vitality, and new beginnings. Gathered across the porcelain, these butterflies form both a masterful expression of fine painting and a quiet wish for enduring fortune and continuity.

Beneath the glaze, the body is refined to a thin-body “de-tai” (脱胎) standard, resulting in a vessel that feels light yet balanced in the hand. Inside, an ice-plum (冰梅) inner-impressed relief is revealed through an open-window design, offering a reserved and tactile presence that unfolds gradually with use. The decoration does not sit on the surface, but emerges subtly from within the porcelain itself, embodying an aesthetic of inner richness rather than outward display.

The making of this gaiwan is a layered process requiring exceptional technical control. From the initial biscuit firing and application of the sky-blue glaze, to the high-temperature firing that forms the porcelain body, followed by the outlining and filling of the alun-red butterflies, low-temperature enamel firing, and finally the delicate hand-applied gold detailing, each stage reflects years of accumulated skill. The interaction between glaze and colour allows the calm elegance of blue to balance naturally with the vivid warmth of alun red, avoiding both heaviness and excess. Each piece is therefore a singular handmade work, carrying within it the depth and discipline of traditional Chinese ceramic artistry.

This gaiwan represents a dialogue between tradition and renewal. By uniting high-temperature coloured glaze techniques with alun-red enamel painting, it carries the technical lineage of Qing court porcelain while responding to contemporary aesthetics that value subtlety, intention, and poetic restraint. The rarity of the sky-blue glaze and the artistic value of the butterfly motif make it a quietly radiant presence within any tea collection. It may be admired for its glaze, its craftsmanship, or its symbolism, yet it is ultimately designed to be used—allowing each tea session to become a contemplative exchange across time with generations of artisans.

Diameter: 9 cm
Height: 7.7 cm
Capacity: 130 ml

The listed price is for one gaiwan. Each piece is individually handcrafted and hand-painted, and natural variations in glaze tone, brushwork, and form 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 refined and auspicious tea vessel—clear in glaze, rich in meaning, and quietly rewarding the longer it is lived with.