Longquan Celadon · Wood-Fired Ash-Green Sculpted Plum Blossom Tea Tray

Place of Origin: Zhejiang, China
Handcrafted by Huang Haiyan (Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor of Longquan Celadon, Master of Arts and Crafts)
Handcrafted. One of a kind. Signed collector’s certificate included.
This tea tray comes from Longquan, where the craft has been passed down for a thousand years. It is made by Huang Haiyan, an inheritor whose hands carry the weight of tradition.

It is a wood-fired piece — fired at 1300°C in a traditional dragon kiln, where ash and flame transform the surface into something no two hands could replicate. The glaze undergoes a subtle kiln-change — shifting from ash-green to crab-shell green. No crackle. Just pure, quiet clarity — a tone that is mysterious, cool, and quietly elegant.

On the body, plum blossoms are sculpted by hand — clay pinched and shaped into branches and flowers, then applied to the surface. A demanding, labour-intensive process. The branches twist like an old tree in winter; the blossoms open one by one, petals layered and raised, catching the light. No moulds. No shortcuts. Against the ash-green glaze, the plum blossoms seem to bloom in winter snow — cold, proud, and quietly fragrant.

Two uses, one piece of art. Place it under a wood-fired teapot or gaiwan — the ash-green glaze and the wood-fired vessel speak to each other, creating a tea table full of quiet beauty. Or set it on a shelf — let it stand as a quiet presence, carrying its blessing into the room.

Each piece is unique. Every piece catches the flame differently — its own ash-green tone, its own blossoms, its own character. This is the signature of the fire — the mark of a piece that exists only once.