Where Earth, Metal, and Time Meet
There’s a principle I often return to—both in art and in business:
contrast creates memory.
As a lacquer artist, I spend countless hours balancing raw fabric against polished lacquer, roughness against reflection. When I came across this tea set for Best Ceramics, I recognized that same quiet tension immediately.
This is not a tea set assembled by style.
It’s a conversation between materials.
The teapot body is made from warm, unglazed red clay—grounded, matte, alive.
It holds heat gently and, over time, softens the character of your tea.
Then your hand reaches the lid.
Cool. Metallic. Sculptural.
Cast in a silver-toned finish, the lid resembles a withered lotus leaf resting naturally on the vessel. The contrast is immediate:
warm tea below, cool metal above—a pause between earth and air.
Paired with the pot are two celadon cups inspired by classic Ru Kiln iron-wire crackle glaze.
These fine lines are not decoration. They are breathing paths.
With use, tea slowly seeps into the cracks, deepening their color.
The cups change—not dramatically, but personally.
The Ru-kiln style glaze will 'bloom' over time, creating a golden patina that records your tea journey.
No two sets age the same.
Even the coasters continue the dialogue:
pewter-toned metal petals cradling woven rattan centers.
Hard and soft.
Cool and warm.
Refined, but never fragile.
The metal lid and pewter coasters will naturally darken with age, adding to the wabi-sabi character. Simply rinse and dry—let time do the rest.
(And yes, it photographs beautifully. Your table will remember it.)
“Good objects don’t shout luxury.
They let contrast do the talking.”
— Kevin
Size: H | D | C
Details
A Material That Lives With Time
Left: Naturally Oxidized
Over time, silver develops a deeper tone.
This is not damage — it is a natural response to air and life.
Right: Gently Polished
With simple care, the original luster returns.
The shine is still there, waiting.
Silver does not age. It evolves.
