Monk Cup

This cup is part of a new line of teaware from Liu Shisan, a pottery artist in Jingdezhen known for his creativity and expressive style. This style is also at work here—he took inspiration from ceramics that were popular during the Song dynasty and added modern elements to them to produce teaware that is striking, both in terms of shape and the motives that are drawn on it.

Adorned with an eye-catching motif of a red monk in front of blue clouds, this cup sports a gently flared rim that will rest on the drinker’s lip, providing a pleasant sense of security while funneling tea directly onto the taste buds. On the opposite side, the rim will guide the tea’s fragrance towards the nose, further enhancing its sensory appeal. The cup’s sturdy material combined with its shape make it comfortable to hold while admiring both the painting and its speckled glaze that will be unique on each individual cup. Use it make to your fragrant teas shine, or to enjoy a laid-back session with any type of tea.

The Fenghuang cup, along with the Blue Rainbow gaiwan, Dragon Son gaiwan and pitcher, and Fenghuang plate round out this collection to provide you with a full tea set’s worth of Liu Shisan’s artistry.
Please note that all items in this collection are fully handmade, so there will be some variation with regards to size, shape, and glazing.

Written by Sigi

About the Artist

We've already featured the work of Liu Shisan, whose rough, expressive work we discovered and admired on a teaware-sourcing trip to 'the Porcelain Capital' of Jingdezhen. He forms his pieces by hand, on the wheel, but it's the tweaks, pinches, and strokes that give his pieces a larger-than-life character; his pitchers are particularly unique. We paid him another visit in 2024 and got a tour of his studio: