Velvet Mountain Purple Tea Cake Design Label: Art & Authenticity

"Great tea is an experience that begins long before the hot water meets the leaf. It is built on the stories of the farmers, the tea pickers, and the tea masters. Yet, there is a story that often remains untold: the design philosophy, and how we collaborate with talented artists to bring the tea’s spirit to life visually."

With the launch of our new Velvet Mountain Tea Cake, we wanted the packaging to be as evocative as the wonderful tea inside. To bring our vision to life, we collaborated once again with the talented artist Su Yi. Known for her work on our Moon Garden white tea and Amber Sunrise black tea, Su Yi has created a visual trilogy, with Velvet Mountain completing the set.

Here is the story hidden within the wrapper.

1. The Palette: A Symphony in Purple

The first thing you will notice is the color. The design relies heavily on shades of purple, not just for aesthetic beauty, but as a direct nod to the Zi Juan (Purple Beauty) cultivar used to create this tea. Just as the fresh leaves of this varietal possess a distinctive violet hue, the packaging sets the stage for the unique, anthocyanin-rich liquor.

To echo this natural purple hue in the artwork, Su Yi incorporated the Jacaranda tree on the right side of the design. These trees, famous for their vibrant purple blossoms, cast delicate shadows over the scene.

2. The Landscape: The Hazy Mountains of Xishuangbanna

To the left of the wrapper, the design immerses you in the terroir. We see the undulating, hazy mountains of Xishuangbanna, Southern Yunnan. This isn't just scenery; it is the birthplace of the tea. A small, red stamp by artist Su yi is visible on the left of the mountains.

3. The Culture: The Peacock and the Stone

On the opposite side, the design pays homage to the Dai minority culture of the region. A majestic peacock stands atop a Tai Hu stone.

• The Peacock: In Yunnan, the peacock is a spiritual totem representing elegance, beauty, and auspiciousness. It is the symbol of the Dai people, the guardians of many of Yunnan's tea forests.
• The Tai Hu Stone: The bird perches on a porous, twisted rock known as a Tai Hu stone. Traditionally used in Chinese scholar gardens, these stones represent the beauty found in nature’s asymmetry. It suggests that this tea, like the stone, is a work of natural art.

For the Velvet Mountain mini cakes, the artist zoomed in on the purple peacock, which becomes the scene's protagonist, while the Jacaranda tree behind it frames the scene. 

4. The Invitation: The Ritual of Tea

Anchoring the composition in the center is a humble set of tea utensils: an earthenware teapot and bamboo-jointed teacups.

While the peacock and mountains represent the origin, this central element represents the experience. The bamboo-jointed cups reflect the rustic, unpretentious nature of drinking raw pu-erh/purple tea. It's a grounding ritual that connects you to the earth. It is an open invitation for you to sit down, break off a piece of the cake, and begin your own brewing journey.

A Collector’s Piece

By combining these four core elements (Purple, Yunnan, Peacock, and Tea) the Velvet Mountain wrapper isn't just packaging; it is a canvas that tells the story about the geographical and cultural origin of the tea.