Wood-fired character, without the usual weight. These fine, lightweight Jingdezhen gongfu teacups are remarkable for their thin walls. During years of searching for wood-fired teaware, Leo found that most cups were thick and heavy. These are different: small, balanced cups with delicate flared rims, each carrying its own unpredictable colors from the wood kiln. Three individual designs are available, each sold separately.
Why Thin Wood-Fired Teacups Are So Hard to Make
The first challenge is the thin shape. Slender ceramic walls must be formed and dried evenly. Small differences in thickness or drying can distort the rim or create cracks before the cup ever reaches the kiln.
The wood kiln makes the challenge greater. Heat, airflow, flame and ash vary throughout a wood firing. As clay heats, shrinks and cools, thin sections can warp, crack or break. Some pieces do not emerge intact or are rejected because they lose their intended shape. Maintaining such a fine form through the firing takes care and considerable skill.
What makes these special: they combine the varied, expressive surface of wood-fired ceramics with a light, delicate profile that feels at home in a gongfu tea session. Each finish is individual, and the contrast between exterior and interior becomes apparent when you turn the cup in your hands.
Choose Your Cup
Ivory Cinders · 80 mL: A creamy ivory exterior scattered with dark charcoal flecks, warming to natural earth tones on the other side. Inside, golden-amber and toasted brown glaze create a striking contrast. Approximately 2.8 inches in diameter × 1.75 inches tall.
Saffron Horizon · 65 mL: A soft yellow-gold glaze with peach undertones and a darker, gently weathered band around the interior rim. Fine surface lines become visible in the close-up views. Approximately 2.75 inches in diameter × 1.6 inches tall.
Silver Lagoon · 53 mL: Layers of misty silver-blue, warm gold and earthy brown surround a dramatic interior, where gray-blue and pale green glaze gathers like a quiet pool. Approximately 2.75 inches in diameter × 1.6 inches tall.
Details
Origin: Jingdezhen, China
Firing: Wood-fired
Style: Thin-walled, flared-rim gongfu teacup
Capacity: 53–80 mL depending on the selected design
Quantity: One individual teacup in the selected variant
Measurements are approximate. Each of the three cups pictured is sold individually, not as a three-cup set.
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Leo's Story: My Discovery in Jingdezhen
During my travels, most of the wood-fired teaware I came across was heavy and thick. I love wood firing, but I have always wanted the character of the kiln in a cup that feels light and delicate in the hand.
When I visited Jingdezhen in 2025, I found the kind of cup I had been looking for. What amazed me was just how thin the walls were. A thin cup is much harder to bring through a wood firing without damage or losing its shape. So far, Jingdezhen is the only place in my own sourcing journeys where I have found wood-fired cups with this degree of finesse.
These three cups each caught my eye for a different reason. Ivory Cinders has beautiful dark speckling and a warm golden center, Saffron Horizon is soft and sunny, and Silver Lagoon reveals an unexpected blue-green pool when you look inside. I like finding pieces that reward a closer look.
Leo Lukidi
Founder, Tea & Whisk
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Care Instructions
Hand-wash gently with warm water, allow to dry completely, and avoid dishwashers, microwaves and sudden temperature changes.
