Sucker Seeks Celadon

**silvertip beard** · 01-29-2010, 05:50 PM

I need help. I have fallen in love with the unique cracking glaze celadon. I envy the beautiful handmade cups I have seen posted by several members here. I would be grateful for an opinion of THESE tea cups.

I've been stalking the web for some of the celadon I am seeing here, and am coming up empty. Do I start refreshing houde every 15 minutes now?!

**tea goober** · 01-29-2010, 06:03 PM

Originally Posted by silvertip beard

I need help. I have fallen in love with the unique cracking glaze celadon. I envy the beautiful handmade cups I have seen posted by several members here. I would be grateful for an opinion of THESE tea cups.

I've been stalking the web for some of the celadon I am seeing here, and am coming up empty. Do I start refreshing houde every 15 minutes now?!

I say if you like em, buy em. Hou De's sells out of the celadon wares pretty quickly. Dragon Tea House, Yum Tea and Red Lantern (all ebay) always have some of the Ru Kiln wares. Ru Kiln makes some pretty nice tea wares but they are not the same as handmade wares by Xe Du Jia.

**nada** · 01-29-2010, 10:53 PM

I would say hold off on these cups & wait for something to become available at Houde. If a Xu de Jia cup is what you really want, buying these in the meantime is only sure to disappoint & you'll end up paying twice.

The shape of these cups is all wrong for tea too - have you ever tried drinking from a cup that is wider at the bottom than at the top? You have to tilt your head uncomfortably far back to finish the tea & the narrow opening hits your nose. The style is a personal preference for each of us to decide, but these don't appeal to me in the way of Xu De Jia's either.

I would say don't rush into it - a wise man once told me that when buying teaware it's better to search and see if you can find a reason not to buy it. If you can find a reason, just let the teaware pass by. This method saves you from ending up with a lot of junk that you're never really satisfied with and ensures that all of your pieces of teaware are objects you can really appreciate.

**nada** · 01-29-2010, 10:56 PM

(instead of refreshing every 15 minutes, you could try emailing Guang and see if he can hold a cup or two for you next time he gets some in)

**Maduro 5** · 01-30-2010, 05:55 AM

I am in the same boat. I might not check Hou De every 15 min but couple of times a day for sure. Take a look at http://www.teance.com

**kimble22** · 01-30-2010, 07:15 AM

check out the close up on this one..

http://cgi.ebay.com.my/ANTIQUE-SAWAN...:B:SILF:MY:101

**silvertip beard** · 01-30-2010, 11:44 AM

Dear Nada,

Once again, you have struck the nail squarely. Thank you for your input.

Good idea to send an email.

Cheers!

**nada** · 01-31-2010, 01:41 PM

And as if by magic... some cups appear.

These look like a much better alternative.

**nada** · 02-01-2010, 12:28 AM

It's good to have these paring down sessions from time to time. I think most of us have got teaware lying around that doesn't get the attention it deserves.

At least we've solved the mystery of why they were selling out so fast

**tea goober** · 02-03-2010, 05:23 AM

And as if by magic Hou De's has put some new cups on thier site. Jump on em now or they will be gone in the blink of an eye.

**ouch** · 02-03-2010, 05:37 AM

Originally Posted by tea goober

And as if by magic Hou De's has put some new cups on thier site. Jump on em now or they will be gone in the blink of an eye.

Cool. Did they add their yearly addition of one new sheng as well?

**tea goober** · 02-03-2010, 05:55 AM

Originally Posted by ouch

Cool. Did they add their yearly addition of one new sheng as well?

No! Not untill the groundhog see's it's shadow. Then and only then will they add another low end Chang Tai beeng for sale.

**aodenkou** · 02-03-2010, 06:41 AM

Originally Posted by silvertip beard

I need help. I have fallen in love with the unique cracking glaze celadon. I envy the beautiful handmade cups I have seen posted by several members here. I would be grateful for an opinion of THESE tea cups.

I've been stalking the web for some of the celadon I am seeing here, and am coming up empty. Do I start refreshing houde every 15 minutes now?!

If you like them buy them. I do have to add my 2 cents in on the subject of crackling glazes. I am a potter and I see a crackle glaze as a fault in functional pottery. Crazing is when the glaze and the underlying clay do not "fit". This causes the glaze to crack, in other words there are tiny cracks that run down to the clay. So in my mind we have a lot of spots where there is the potential for bacteria to wedge into the item. Now does this present a health problem? Some feel this is the case and others don't worry about it, esp if you run the item through the dishwasher.

I have a bucket of celedon glaze sitting out in my workshop that is going to waste because it cracks with the clay body I use. I am a functional potter and will not intentionally make a "pot" that I will eat, drink out of, or use for food service that has crazing. If I have a decorative "pot" not intended for food service I may use the glaze.

**tea goober** · 02-03-2010, 07:12 AM

Originally Posted by aodenkou

If you like them buy them. I do have to add my 2 cents in on the subject of crackling glazes. I am a potter and I see a crackle glaze as a fault in functional pottery. Crazing is when the glaze and the underlying clay do not "fit". This causes the glaze to crack, in other words there are tiny cracks that run down to the clay. So in my mind we have a lot of spots where there is the potential for bacteria to wedge into the item. Now does this present a health problem? Some feel this is the case and others don't worry about it, esp if you run the item through the dishwasher.

I have a bucket of celedon glaze sitting out in my workshop that is going to waste because it cracks with the clay body I use. I am a functional potter and will not intentionally make a "pot" that I will eat, drink out of, or use for food service that has crazing. If I have a decorative "pot" not intended for food service I may use the glaze.

I,m in the dont worry about it camp. I dont see how it would any different than using a yixing pot, that's unglazed clay also. And seeing how I always pre-heat the cups with boiling water I think I,ll be alright.

**aodenkou** · 02-03-2010, 07:56 AM

Originally Posted by tea goober

I,m in the dont worry about it camp. I dont see how it would any different than using a yixing pot, that's unglazed clay also. And seeing how I always pre-heat the cups with boiling water I think I,ll be alright.

Probably so, but I wanted to point out that as a potter I see crazing as a defect and not something to be used in functional pottery. I agree you will "probably" be ok, but then I just wanted people to be aware that there are differing views. By the way I have yixing pots as well and use them and so far I am still alive :-)

**silvertip beard** · 02-03-2010, 04:52 PM

Originally Posted by tea goober

And as if by magic Hou De's has put some new cups on thier site. Jump on em now or they will be gone in the blink of an eye.

Nice looking out, bro!

I looked at them this morning, and by the end of the workday they're nearly sold out! 24 cups sold in 11 hours?!?! I'm sensing an unmet market demand.

Holy Cow.

Is it always like this with the Xu De-Jia cups?

**tea goober** · 02-03-2010, 06:09 PM

Originally Posted by silvertip beard

Nice looking out, bro!

I looked at them this morning, and by the end of the workday they're nearly sold out! 24 cups sold in 11 hours?!?! I'm sensing an unmet market demand.

Holy Cow.

Is it always like this with the Xu De-Jia cups?

Yep, this is pretty much the way it goes with his wares. Taking into account that he's just one potter (Xe Du Jia) there is only so many pieces he is capable of making. That's why Ive said, if you see something you like, grab it, or it's gonna be gone. I hope some of these cups went to B&B members. The white ones that they posted this morning were really cool, also the first ones to sell out. I think those sold in under an hour.

**silvertip beard** · 02-03-2010, 07:15 PM

dear aodenkou,

if you have pics of tea ware you've made, celadon or not, i'd love to see it!

For myself, I love the "wabi-sabi"-ness of celadon glaze and I'm not personally worried about crazing being a biohazard.

Originally Posted by aodenkou

Probably so, but I wanted to point out that as a potter I see crazing as a defect and not something to be used in functional pottery. I agree you will "probably" be ok, but then I just wanted people to be aware that there are differing views. By the way I have yixing pots as well and use them and so far I am still alive :-)

**ambrose** · 02-03-2010, 07:44 PM

After I bought some a few weeks ago I asked Irene immediately if they had any other celadon cups for sale not on the site. I was sent pictures of them

and once they were added to the site I took two monk bowls in a heartbeat.

Defective or not I do highly enjoy drinking from them. Nothing like a high temp tea in a handcrafted celadon cup. Pics are from houde's site of the monk bowl. I cant wait for the new additions to arrive!, goober I didnt make it in time for the white ones! Those I would have taken, who ever has them now I hope they enjoy them