Jingdezhen Gold-Traced Pi Qiu Gongfu Tea Set – 5-Piece Gift Box | Qicheng Tang

Gold drawn by hand, pattern woven from play. The Jingdezhen Gold-Traced Pi Qiu Gongfu Tea Set brings one of the most joyful and visually captivating motifs in Chinese ceramic art to the gongfu tea table - the pi qiu (皮球) ball pattern, its interlocking geometric roundels traced in fine gold against the porcelain ground, creating a surface of extraordinary rhythmic beauty. 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 decorative art that rewards daily use with daily pleasure.

Pi Qiu – The Ball Pattern of a Thousand Years (皮球纹)
The pi qiu pattern (皮球纹, literally "leather ball pattern") is one of the oldest and most beloved geometric motifs in Chinese decorative art - a pattern of interlocking circular roundels, each one containing its own smaller pattern, that creates a surface of infinite visual complexity from a single repeating unit. The pattern takes its name from the traditional Chinese leather ball (皮球), a toy and sporting implement whose stitched panels inspired the interlocking geometry of the design. First appearing in Chinese textiles and ceramics during the Tang Dynasty, the pi qiu pattern reached its highest expression in the imperial kilns of the Song and Ming dynasties, where it was used to decorate the finest porcelain with a geometric precision and visual richness that has never been surpassed. On this tea set, the pi qiu pattern is rendered in fine gold tracing (描金) - a technique in which liquid gold is applied by hand to the fired porcelain surface with a fine brush, creating lines of extraordinary delicacy and warmth that catch the light with every movement of the cup.

Gold Tracing – The Art of the Golden Line (描金)
Gold tracing (描金) is one of the most demanding and prestigious decorative techniques in Chinese ceramic art - a process in which real gold, suspended in a liquid medium, is applied by hand to the surface of fired porcelain with a brush of extraordinary fineness. The gold must be applied with complete confidence and precision - there is no room for hesitation or correction - and the result, after a final low-temperature firing to fix the gold to the surface, is a line of pure, warm gold that has a depth and luminosity that no printed or transfer-applied gold can match. On the pi qiu pattern, the gold tracing follows the interlocking roundels with a rhythmic precision that is deeply satisfying to the eye - a pattern that rewards close attention and reveals new details the more you look at it.

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 - its wide rim pressing lightly against the fingers in the classic press-hand form first developed in the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty
• The tank cup / gang cup (80ml, Ø6.5cm × H4.8cm) offers a different drinking experience - its wide, open mouth releasing the full fragrance of the tea before the first sip, its generous form comfortable in the palm
• The pot stand / tea tray (Ø18.1cm × H3cm) holds the gaiwan and cups in elegant arrangement, catching any drips and organizing the tea space
• 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 gold-traced pi qiu pattern gives this set a festive, celebratory quality that makes it particularly well-suited as a wedding gift, a housewarming gift, or a gift for any occasion that calls for something both beautiful and meaningful.

Specifications
• Maker: Qicheng Tang (七丟堂), Jingdezhen
• Technique: Gold tracing (描金)
• Design: Pi qiu ball pattern (皮球纹)
• 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