Guan Style Harmony Crab Cup

This is the Guan-style (官窑) Harmony Cup: a 100 ml pale-glazed cup and scalloped saucer from Shenhou, with a crab modelled inside the bowl.

A restrained pale glaze and a contrasting warm rim define both cup and saucer. Guan was the Song imperial kiln this glaze refers to; the cup itself is made at Shenhou.

The Harmony Cup and the Zhou Bridge floating crab

The maker presents the Harmony Cup (和谐杯) as a recreation of the Kaifeng “Zhou Bridge floating crab” cup (州桥浮蟹杯). A crab is modelled in relief in the bottom of the bowl, so that once tea is poured the shell appears to float just below the surface. 和谐 means harmony. In a gongfu tea setting a cup like this is the 主人杯 — the host’s own cup, kept apart from the guest cups.

Specifications

All dimensions are the supplier’s own hand measurements and can vary by about 1 cm.

Care

These instructions are translated from the maker’s own care sheet. Before first use, rinse the inside of the piece with warm water to clear any kiln ash. Rinse it again soon after drinking rather than leaving tea standing in it.

Wash by hand, one piece at a time, and never stack pieces inside one another. Do not use a dishwasher, steel wool, or strongly acidic or alkaline cleaners; for stubborn tea staining the maker suggests a little toothpaste or a dedicated teaware cleaner. Use a tea towel and coasters, and store the pieces apart, padded with a soft cloth, rather than knocking together in a cupboard.

Frequently asked questions

What size is it?

Capacity is about 100 ml. These are the maker’s own hand measurements, so allow about a centimetre either way.

How do I look after it?

Rinse the inside with warm water before first use to clear any kiln ash, then rinse again soon after drinking rather than letting tea stand. Wash by hand, one piece at a time, and never stack pieces. No dishwasher, no steel wool, no strong acid or alkali cleaners. For stubborn tea staining the maker suggests a little toothpaste or a dedicated teaware cleaner.

Do you have a food-contact safety certificate for it?

No. The maker supplies this as teaware and provides brewing care instructions, but we have not been given a laboratory food-contact test report, so we are not going to claim one. If a certificate matters to you, ask us before ordering and we will request it from the kiln.

What is the crab inside the cup?

It is a crab modelled in relief in the bottom of the bowl. The maker presents the Harmony Cup (和谐杯) as a recreation of the Kaifeng “Zhou Bridge floating crab” cup (州桥浮蟹杯): once tea is poured, the shell appears to float just under the surface. It is part of the cup, not an accessory, and it cannot be removed.

Where is it made?

At Shenhou, Yuzhou, Henan, China. Shenhou is the kiln town in Yuzhou that Jun ware has been fired in since the Song dynasty; it is still where the kilns are.

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Related pieces: Ge Style Harmony Crab Cup · Blue & White Harmony Crab Cup · Ru Style Harmony Crab Cup · Jun Harmony Crab Cup · Harmony Crab Cup Collection