Dehua-kiln, white-glaze porcelain cup in the shape of a treetop with flower motifs

Fine tea requires good water and exquisite utensils. Fragrant tea and teaware not only complement each other harmoniously, they elevate one another—the elegant utensils bringing out the full beauty of tea. Beginning in the Ming Dynasty, the black glazed tea cups traditionally favored by ancient people were replaced by white or blue-and-white porcelain cups. Dehua white porcelain teacups are beautifully shaped, proportionally balanced, and elegant in design, and they played an important role in the history of ancient Chinese tea ware.