Black Sand Niubei Mountain Gaiwan Set

This style of Gaiwan set is called 牛背山 meaning "Cow's Back Mountain". It centers around a wide, conical Gaiwan that features the classic black pine needle glaze of Yingjing on the exterior, and a beautiful tan wood-ash glaze on the top of the lid and the interior of the bowl. The shape and design of the Gaiwan are mirrored by the 壶承 hu cheng that it sits on. A hu cheng is like a cha pan, only it's designed to only hold one vessel at a time. The theme continues in the three cups, which have the same conical shape, black exterior, and tan interior. The overall effect is striking and harmonious. Ya Shao's Black Sand wares carry on a unique ceramic tradition that dates back more then 2,000 years. The abundance of high quality coal in Yingjing led to the development of a coal-fired pottery culture. Combined with the local Black Sand clay, which is dense and coarse, and pine needles from the surrounding mountains, this process produces unique and beautiful wares.  An exquisite set that we are honored to be able to offer.