'Silver Fur' Tenmoku Tea Cup

A blue Tenmoku tea cup (also known as 'Jian Zhan') with a naturally formed pattern due to oven-firing at high temperature (1300ºC). This kind of pattern is also known as 'hare's fur' with vertical stripes resembling animal fur.

• Beautiful gift box + artist certificate included.
• Size: 9x5.5cm (140ml)
• Microwave-safe: no
• Dishwasher-safe: yes

History

During the Song Dynasty, skilled artisans at the Jian kilns crafted exquisite tea bowls. Due to their humble appearance they were first loved by monks in Buddhist temples. As the wisps of steam twirled above the tea's surface, the divine contrast between the luminous glaze of these bowls and the white foam of whipped tea cast a spell on those who sipped from them.

News of these enchanted bowls quickly spread beyond the monastery walls. When word reached the finest tea connoisseur of them all, Song Emperor Huizong, he declared that the black-glazed bowls decorated with intricate 'hare's fur' patterns were the most desirable of all. Holding the secrets to the powerful art of ritual tea preparation, these remarkable tea bowls soon found their way to Japan during the Kamakura period, with Japanese monks unlocking the mysteries of southern China's Buddhist temples. The Jian Zhan cups, were called 'Tenmoku' in Japan.