Artist: Yutian 雨田

Material: Porcelain, mineral Falangcai pigments

Technique: Fine-brush Falangcai (珐琅彩工笔)

Height: 5.2 cm Diameter: 9 cm In the Chinese tea ceremony, the Zhurenbei (主人杯) belongs to the host alone. It is the most personal vessel at the table, chosen to express the host's own aesthetic sensibility. To offer tea from a fine Zhurenbei is to share something of yourself.

This cup is painted with two golden orioles among camellia branches. The flared rim opens generously to release the tea's aroma. The rounded body sits naturally in the palm. On the exterior, Yutian's brush renders each feather in warm mineral yellows, while the camellias unfold in layered pinks against dark, calligraphic branches.

Paired orioles have signified harmony and the vitality of spring in Chinese art for centuries. The camellia, which flowers in the coldest months when other plants retreat, represents quiet resilience. The combination speaks to something enduring: beauty that does not depend on easy conditions.