A hand-painted master cup (主人杯) in blue-and-white — a cat, brushed in cobalt and touched with flint red, drawn across a small cup made for the person who pours the tea. Five cup shapes, each finished in its own gift box.
The Master Cup
In gongfu tea, the master cup (主人杯, zhǔrén bēi) is the cup the host keeps for themselves — larger than the tasting cups passed to guests, and chosen with care because it will be held, rinsed, and refilled all through a session. It is the most personal piece on the tea table.
The Cat in Blue-and-White
The motif is a cat — painted in underglaze cobalt blue on white porcelain, with flint-red accents that warm the blue. The cat is shown sniffing the tea (闻香, wén xiāng), the way a cat investigates anything new with a careful nose. It is a small, quiet companion for the tea table.
Five Cup Shapes
Choose the shape that suits your hand:
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Fu Lu Cup (福禄) — named for fortune and prosperity, a blessing cup
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Zen Cup (禅定) — a settled, meditative form
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Flared-Rim Cup (反口) — a rim that turns gently outward
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Flower-Rim Cup (花口) — a rim shaped like petals
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Bud Cup (花苞) — a form that closes upward like a flower bud
For Gongfu and Aroma
The cup is sized for gongfu brewing: tall enough to gather the tea's aroma, small enough to cup in one hand. Use it as your master cup, or as a single tasting cup for slow, unhurried tea. Read more about the ritual in our guide to brewing with a gaiwan.
A Gift, Boxed
Each cup arrives in its own gift box — ready to hand to a colleague, a client, or anyone you would share a cup of tea with. The cat motif carries a quiet wish: steady, curious, and content.
Care
- Hand wash to protect the painted surface
- Rinse with warm water and air-dry
- Avoid abrasive scrubbers
A Quiet Cup
The master cup is tea's most private ritual — a cup no one else drinks from, kept for the person pouring. The blue-and-white cat cup makes that ritual a little more deliberate: a cat sniffing the steam, and a slow morning to fill it.
