Jingdezhen Doucai Awakening Lion Gongfu Tea Set – 5-Piece Gift Box | Qicheng Tang

The lion awakens. The Jingdezhen Doucai Awakening Lion Gongfu Tea Set is a celebration of two of the most technically demanding and visually spectacular traditions in Chinese ceramic art - the doucai (斗彩) polychrome enamel technique, and the awakening lion (醒狮) motif that has symbolized strength, protection, and auspicious power in Chinese culture for over two thousand years. Crafted by Qicheng Tang (七丟堂) in Jingdezhen, this five-piece set is a complete gongfu tea ceremony in a single gift box - and a work of ceramic art worthy of a collector's attention.

Doucai – The Art of Contending Colors (斗彩)
Doucai (斗彩, literally "contending colors") is one of the most celebrated and technically demanding techniques in Chinese ceramic history - a method in which underglaze cobalt blue outlines are painted onto the porcelain before firing, and then filled in with overglaze enamels in red, green, yellow, and other colors after the first firing, creating a surface of extraordinary chromatic richness and depth. First developed in the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty (1465-1487), doucai reached its highest expression in the imperial kilns of Jingdezhen, where it was used to create some of the most prized and valuable pieces in the history of Chinese ceramics. The technique's name - "contending colors" - captures the dynamic tension between the cool, precise cobalt blue outlines and the warm, vibrant overglaze enamels that fill them: a visual conversation between restraint and exuberance, between structure and color.

The Awakening Lion – Strength, Protection & Auspicious Power (醒狮)
The lion (狮子) holds a place of extraordinary symbolic importance in Chinese culture - not as a native animal (lions are not indigenous to China) but as a mythological creature of immense power and protective energy, introduced through the Silk Road and transformed by Chinese artistic imagination into something uniquely its own. The stone lions that guard the gates of temples, palaces, and government buildings throughout China are among the most recognizable images in Chinese visual culture - their fierce, protective gaze a symbol of strength, authority, and the warding off of evil. The awakening lion (醒狮) - caught in the moment of rousing from sleep, its power gathering and about to be released - is a particularly dynamic and auspicious form: the energy of potential, the strength that is about to become action. On the tea table, the awakening lion brings that quality of gathered, purposeful energy to the ceremony - a reminder that the tea session, at its finest, is itself a form of awakening.

Five Pieces, One Complete Ceremony
Every piece in this set has been designed to work together as a complete gongfu tea ceremony system:
• The gaiwan (150ml, Ø9.5cm × H8.9cm) brews the tea with precision and control
• The press-hand cup (100ml, Ø9.2cm × H5.1cm) receives and shares the tea with warmth and ergonomic grace
• The tank cup / gang cup (80ml, Ø6.5cm × H4.8cm) - the gang bei (缸杯), a classic wide-mouthed cup form beloved for its generous opening that releases the full fragrance of the tea - offers a different drinking experience from the press-hand cup, its wider rim allowing the aroma to bloom fully before the first sip
• The pot stand / tea tray (Ø18.1cm × H3cm) holds the gaiwan and cups in elegant arrangement
• The lid rest (Ø9cm × H2cm) receives the gaiwan lid during brewing, keeping it clean and the table uncluttered

Gift Box Presentation
This set is presented in a gift box worthy of its contents - making it an exceptional gift for tea lovers, collectors of Chinese ceramics, and anyone who appreciates the intersection of art, craft, and daily ritual. The doucai technique and awakening lion motif give this set a visual energy and cultural depth that sets it apart from more conventional tea ware.

Specifications
• Maker: Qicheng Tang (七丟堂), Jingdezhen
• Technique: Doucai polychrome enamel (斗彩)
• Design: Awakening lion (醒狮)
• Gaiwan: Ø 9.5cm × H 8.9cm, 150ml
• Press-hand cup: Ø 9.2cm × H 5.1cm, 100ml
• Tank cup (gang bei): Ø 6.5cm × H 4.8cm, 80ml
• Pot stand / tea tray: Ø 18.1cm × H 3cm
• Lid rest: Ø 9cm × H 2cm
• Set: 5 pieces, gift box included