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Heritage of China

Handmade Jianzhan Gaiwan "Flower-Filled Tower" Gourd Form Pastel Full-Glaze Three-Piece Tea Set

Handmade Jianzhan Gaiwan "Flower-Filled Tower" Gourd Form Pastel Full-Glaze Three-Piece Tea Set

$159.00 USD
$199.00 USD $159.00 USD
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Some tea vessels are tools. This one is a small ceremony.

“Flower-Filled Tower”: A Name, A Mood

The name 花满楼 (Hua Man Lou) evokes a tower filled with flowers — a place of abundance, quiet luxury, and bloom. It is a name that belongs to poetry as much as to tea.
This gaiwan carries that mood. Its surface is a pastel full-glaze (quan bao you) — soft iridescent tones of silver, blue, violet, and pale gold that shift as the light moves. The pattern is not painted. It forms in the kiln, where iron-rich glaze crystallizes into dense, flower-like clusters across the body.
Under sunlight, the rim glows with a thin band of rainbow color. Under indoor light, it settles into a cool, metallic silver. It is a surface that changes with the room.

The Gourd Form

The body is shaped like a gourd (hulu) — a form long associated in Chinese culture with blessing, protection, and continuity. The bowl is gently cinched at the waist, with a flared rim and a rounded lower body. The lid is domed, with a flared knob that sits comfortably between the fingers.
This is a three-piece gaiwan (san cai gai wan) — lid, bowl, and saucer. The saucer is glazed in the same iridescent finish, with a raised foot that keeps the bowl stable.

Full-Glaze, Inside and Out

Traditional Jianzhan often leaves the foot unglazed. This piece is fully glazed, inside and out — a finish that demands precise control of glaze thickness and firing temperature. The interior carries the same crystalline pattern as the exterior, so the tea is surrounded by the glaze on every side.
The result is a gaiwan that feels seamless, refined, and complete.

Made by Hand in Jianyang

Each gaiwan is thrown, glazed, and fired by hand in Jianyang, Fujian — the birthplace of Jianzhan. The craft was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage of China in 2016.
The crystalline pattern, the pastel iridescence, and the subtle variations in tone are all natural results of the firing. Slight differences in pattern, color, and texture are part of the piece. No two gaiwans are identical.

Details

  • Form: Gourd-shaped three-piece gaiwan (lid, bowl, saucer)
  • Glaze: Pastel full-glaze, iridescent silver-blue-violet crystalline finish
  • Origin: Jianyang, Fujian, China
  • Craft: Handmade Jianzhan, national intangible cultural heritage
  • Best for: Oolong, black tea, white tea, pu-erh, and gongfu tea sessions

How to Use and Care

  • Rinse with warm water before first use
  • Hand wash with warm water and a soft cloth
  • Avoid sudden temperature changes
  • Do not use in the dishwasher or microwave
  • Dry fully before storing

In the Box

  • 1 × Handmade Jianzhan “Flower-Filled Tower” gaiwan (lid, bowl, saucer)
  • 1 × Protective gift box
  • 1 × Certificate

Why It Belongs on Your Tea Table

This is not a mass-produced gaiwan. It is a fully glazed, hand-fired Jianzhan piece — a gourd form, a pastel iridescent surface, and a name that means abundance.
Each piece is unique. Once it is sold, it will not find the same cup, only a similar one.
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