This studio makes the finest unglazed gaiwans we've seen. Dai Xiang is located in the heart of Jinghong, capital of Xishuangbanna, Austin's sister city in China. They continue the ancient pottery tradition of the Dai people, one of China's 57 official ethnic groups and the majority population in Xishuangbanna. Their work incorporates traditional Dai motifs, techniques, and clay to make stunning unglazed wares.
This complete gaiwan set comes a has a slate colored clay body ornamented with a striking flaming lotus on the body with crescent Dai script on the lid, with the flaming lotus motif echoed on both the gong dao bei and matching cup. Being unglazed, we recommend dedicating this vessel to particular tea or category of tea. Being from Yunnan, we find that Dai clay is especially well-suited to making pu'er, but it can be used for any kind of tea.