Chinese tea service "Gaiwan Apricot"

The set consists of four tea cups and a gaiwan, consisting of bowl, lid and coaster. The gaiwan is used to brew the tea. The tea is then poured directly into the cups. The lid has two functions. During brewing, the lid is kept closed. You check the aroma and the fragrance on the bottom side after lifting the lid. The lid also serves to hold back the leaves during decanting.

Manufacturer: Manufacture Zizheng from Longquan/Zhejiang/China
Name: mei hua gai wan
Colour: Jade green
Box: (LxWxH) 24 x 20 x 12,5 cm
Teacup: Ø 6 cm, height 3,5 cm, weight 48 g
Gaiwan: Ø 9,2 - 10,3 cm, height 9,8 cm, weight 288 g, volume 190g

Special feature:

Celadon refers to so-called Chinese greenware, which has its origin in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). It is therefore the style that influenced tea culture even before the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The colour of celadon is reminiscent of jade, which has always played a very important role in Chinese cultural history. The centre of celadon production then, as now, is Longquan in Zhejiang province. The Zizheng manufactory from Longquan is one of the best manufacturers of this type of ceramic here.

Celadon ceramics typically have a jade-green or bluish colour, in which patterns of fine fragments can appear in the slightly transparent glaze when exposed to light. Nevertheless, various colours are possible, ranging from yellow, blue, green to black. Celadon is a high temperature ceramic. A glaze containing iron oxide is applied to the ceramic and fired in an oxygen-reduced firing process at approx. 1300 degrees.