#verdanttea
We love this pieceby thevintagepostbox - in fact, we love ALL of her work, but this one in particular is close to our hearts. It features our two little black cats, Rothko and Loki the Tea Cats, enjoying a civil cup of tea together.
The boys may not always see eye to eye, but there’s one thing they really agree on: they love tea time and tea ceremony! This print is hanging right above our tea board at home so that every time we make tea, the cats can enjoy it with us.
Check out even more of Francesca Buchko’s wonderful work on her website, francescabuchko.com
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Today, we’re really excited to launch a new collection of hand made Jian Zhan teaware from artist Lin Xi!
Meet the Artist: Lin Xi
Master potter Lin Xi set up the Taishou Jianlou Research Institute to study Han and Song Dynasty tea culture and firing techniques. He is dedicated to reviving the lost ancient art of Jian Zhan through meticulous research, hand made glazing and clays personally excavated from Song Dynasty sites.
Unlike many studios, Lin Xi personally oversees every aspect of his work without help. As a single artist, Lin Xi makes his own glazes, throws his own cups, and fires every batch personally.
Lin Xi works with our partner Li Xiangxi and the Yangxian Institute on building Jian Zhan fit to revive the Song Dynasty style dian cha ceremony, and has won many awards for his striking work. We are excited to represent his rare and highly collectible art for the first time outside of China.
Recent awards: “Bo Re Zhan” 16th Annual China Art Exhibition Traditional Arts Category Gold Medal // “Cai Shao” April 2019 Shen Zhen Golden Phoenix Art Competition Gold Medal // “Mu Lan Zhan” June 2018 Hua Li Competition Silver Medal
ABOUT JIAN ZHAN
“Jian Zhan pottery is made in Shui Ji, Jian Yang, an ancient art dating back to the Han dynasty, also known as Jian Yao. It is the most famous of the eight great pottery schools of the Song Dynasty.
While Jian Zhan was fired as early as the Han dynasty, it became an imperial tribute art in the Song, offered to the emperor.
Because Jian Zhan is incredibly difficult to produce, and very few pieces fire successfully to finish, it is an incredibly costly and laborious art. Tribute quality pieces were picked from countless firings and countless individual pieces. Jian Zhan became known as “min yao, guan yong” the labor of the people, the pleasure of the court.
Song Huizong, emperor of the Northern Song elaborates on Jian Zhan in his treatise on tea Da Guan Tu Lun: “Jian Zhan is a prized midnight blue, woven with lines of jade.”
In the Song dynasty tea competitions, Jian Zhan was the most suitable preparation vessel, and with the imperial endorsement, every Song scholarly aristocrat would part with huge sums to acquire the finest pieces. Cultured Song poets praised the refined enjoyment of Jian Zhan. During this golden age, Jian Zhan was brought to Japan where it became known as Tenmokku, a Japanese national treasure.
Jian Zhan is fire and earth, united with perfect skill, a high art in the world of pottery.”
– Lin Xi
Jianyang Jianan Taishou Jianlou Research Institute
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New tea is here! This year’s harvest of Yu Lu Yan Cha black tea is here, full of delicious notes of toast, dried lychee, and great mineral / woody texture.
Recommended for black tea lovers! >> https://verdanttea.com/teas/yu-lu-yan-cha-black/
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Check out this beautiful tea pot from artist Wang Ting!
Photos don’t really capture how beautiful this pot is to pick up and hold.
It was verrrry tempting to keep a bunch of the latest tea pots for ourselves, but we resisted. You can check out all 40+ new pots from Lai Xiaohong, Wang Ting, and Tan Jun up on our online store >> https://verdanttea.com/shop/teaware/yixing-tea-pot/
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Ever tried Ba Xian (eight Immortals) oolong from Anxi?Neither had we!
Ba Xian is best known as a Dancong oolong tea - the cultivar was pioneered from old rootstock in Fenghuang, Guangdong, and given the right soil and expert craftsmanship, the leaves yield beautiful textural depth, lingering sparkling complexity and rich aromatics.
Our partner Master Zhang is a colleague of famous Dancong pioneer Huang Ruiguang, and was able to transplant several old Ba XIan plants from Wudongshan to his own fields above Daping in Anxi. These plants have been left mostly unpicked and untrimmed for years, giving them a wild appearance.
This year, Master Zhang picked a limited quantity of his Ba Xian to share. The result is packed with deep minerality, “yun” and creamy florals - a powerful and commanding tea! We are loving it!!
Learn more or try it while supplies last >>>
https://verdanttea.com/teas/ba-xian-eight-immortals-anxi-oolong-dark-roast/
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Ever tried Cai Cong (菜聪) Anxi oolong tea?
Our partner, Master Zhang, cultivates this little-seen tea cultivar in his biodiverse tea fields in Daping. The light oxidation of this tea’s traditional finish complements the dessert-like flavors of Cai Cong with a buttery, creamy finish.
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