Sea Blossoms Silver-Lined Porcelain Teacup

Introducing Sea Blossoms, our 5th handcrafted silver-lined teacup! 

An Ode to Our Oceans, and an Invitation to Act

The ocean is the lifeblood of our planet, generating over half of the oxygen we breathe, providing sustenance, livelihoods, and a source of wonder. However, its boundless majesty is at risk. Overfishing, climate change, and pollution are only a few of the challenges it faces.

"With every drop of water you drink, every breath you take, you’re connected to the sea." — Sylvia Earle

In the spirit of ocean preservation and the harmony of art and nature, we introduce you to Sea Blossoms: a silver-lined porcelain teacup by Sol-Bird Designs.

A harmonious union of aesthetic brilliance, meticulous craftsmanship, and refined tea connoisseurship.

Sea Blossoms: The Intersection of Art, Master Craftsmanship, and Tea Culture

Inspired by the timeless majesty of 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa,' Sea Blossoms transcends the realm of mere teacups. With its celestial spirals of maritime blues and frothy whites, punctuated by golden floral accents, each sip transforms into an odyssey through visual and sensory poetry.

Design Aesthetics

The Sea Blossoms teacup boasts an ergonomic design, characterized by its gentle, inviting curves that nestle comfortably in the hand. Its delicate light blue hue, seamlessly interwoven with dynamic, fluid lines, evokes an ethereal sense of timelessness and expansive space.

Intricate spirals of azure waves meld with ethereal plumes of white foam, while golden blossoms punctuate the composition. Together, they rekindle the artist's timeless vision, transporting you to an imagined oceanic realm where waves metamorphose into blooming flora.

In this composition, the sea takes center stage, its form captured in the sinuous lines of a wave that unfurls to command the entire visual landscape before gracefully receding. Spirals of water, nearly geometric in their perfection, shape the overarching design, with the fluid contours of the water's surface seamlessly extending from the curves inside the waves. The crescendo of the grand wave is mirrored in a symphony of smaller curves, creating a recursive pattern of endless undulation.

Set against this aquatic backdrop, golden blossoms serve as whispers of terrestrial beauty—invoking not only the wind's caress but also a sense of untamed freedom and wild allure. Each sip becomes a poetic journey, led by a palette of light blue hues and dynamic lines that bestow a perception of limitless time and space. To touch the cup is to connect with the myriad stories, adventures, and enigmas that have colored the world's history.

The result is not merely a functional object but an artful confluence of life's many dimensions. Each time you lift the teacup, you are submerged in Hokusai's iconic waves, offering you an intimate connection to a masterpiece each and every day.

Silver Lining

Each cup is lined with .999 pure silver, hand-applied to perfection. Silver not only enhances the taste of your tea but also offers natural antibacterial properties.

A Harmonious Blend of Nature's Elegance: Porcelain Meets Silver

Sea Blossoms has been thoughtfully designed for ergonomic comfort, featuring a smoothly rounded base and a stable stance. The fusion of these natural elements ensures not only aesthetic delight but also a tactile experience that makes each sip a cozy embrace.

The hand-applied, antibacterial silver lining serves a dual purpose: it not only keeps the teacup perpetually clean and hygienic but also enriches the flavor profile of any tea you select. Enjoying tea from a cup lined with pure .999 silver offers an unparalleled tasting experience that can't be duplicated by any other material.

Silver is renowned for its purifying and disinfecting properties. Scientific research supports these claims, such as a 2008 study published in the 'Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology' that demonstrated the efficacy of ionic silver solutions in eradicating bacteria and the Candida albicans fungus in controlled environments. Further corroborating this, Dr. Mark Farinha, a researcher from the University of North Texas, discovered that colloidal silver solutions exhibited antimicrobial action against in-situ populations of Staphylococcus, Candida, and Pseudomonas.

Experience daily hydration in its healthiest and most sophisticated form.

A warm cup of tea will always be there to jump-start your morning or calm down your afternoon.

Specifications

• Diameter: 78mm (3.07")
• Height:  52mm (2.05")
• Capacity: 150ml (5.07oz)

Craftsmanship Behind the Cup

Nestled in Jingdezhen, the historical cradle of exquisite porcelain artistry since 557 AD, our workshop continues a millennium-long tradition. Home to China's most masterful artisans in porcelain and pottery, Jingdezhen remains the epicenter of innovation and craftsmanship in this ancient art form.

The creation of each porcelain piece is an intricate dance involving no fewer than 72 individual steps and sometimes exceeding a hundred specialized processes. These stages encompass everything from the careful selection of the ideal clay to intricate grinding, meticulous shaping, artful glazing, precise kiln firing, and detailed painting, all the way to the final adjustments in glaze hue.

Selecting the Materials

Selecting the ideal raw materials is a pivotal stage in the creation of exquisite porcelain. The chosen elements not only influence the final quality but also dictate the types and grades of porcelain that can be realized. Our master craftsmen meticulously grind hand-selected white kaolin clay and porcelain stone, then refine and skillfully blend them to produce a superior quality porcelain clay.

Shaping

Our master artisans skillfully knead and sculpt the refined clay, transforming it into the initial form of a teacup, known as a teacup blank.

Once the teacup blank reaches a semi-dried state, our master artisans meticulously refine its contours on a high-speed potter's wheel, ensuring a flawless, smooth exterior that epitomizes the finest porcelain craftsmanship.

Glazing

Preparing the glaze

The teacup blank is delicately moistened with water to erase any lingering marks from the trimming process and to remove residual dust from the drying stage. Following this, our master artisans submerge the piece in a specialized glaze. With precise, steady movements, they rotate the teacup to ensure a uniformly exquisite glaze, both inside and out. Once dry, meticulous attention is given to fine-tuning the base of the teacup for a flawless finish.

Firing

The glazed teacup blank is expertly positioned within the kiln to guarantee uniform firing. Subjected to a precise 13-hour firing cycle at a temperature of 1380°C, the piece emerges as a bisque porcelain teacup, ready for its next transformative stage. Once sufficiently cooled, our artisans adorn the cup with intricate Sea Blossoms patterns, each stroke an homage to timeless beauty. The teacup then undergoes a second, lower-temperature firing at 820°C—a technique known as 'overglaze decoration'—solidifying the richness and vibrancy of its patterns and hues.

The Silver Lining

Premium-grade pure silver is meticulously ground into an ultra-fine powder and then liquefied at elevated temperatures to attain a glaze-like viscosity. This molten silver is then carefully hand-applied to the inner surface of the teacup, ensuring an even coat that seamlessly merges with the porcelain. Following this, the teacup is fired in the kiln at a calibrated temperature, allowing for a perfect fusion between the silver and porcelain layers. To conclude the process, the interior silver lining is subjected to multiple rounds of artisanal polishing, achieving a luminous, smooth finish that is both aesthetically pleasing and functional.

Finally, we got the premium silver-lined porcelain teacup: See Blossoms.

Throughout the intricate journey of crafting porcelain and infusing it with a silver lining, the moment the kiln door swings open post-firing is a crescendo of both excitement and apprehension. The air is thick with the weight of anticipation; a miss can yield palpable disappointment, yet a hit brings an unparalleled surge of elation.

While we've touched upon the various facets involved in porcelain creation, it's worth acknowledging that the true depth and meticulous precision of this art form are nearly ineffable. In a world where the tradition of hand-crafted porcelain is increasingly eclipsed by mass production, Jingdezhen remains a stalwart guardian of this venerable craft. Here, the age-old techniques are not just preserved but revered, serving as a resonant echo of the rich, enduring legacy of porcelain across the centuries."

This enhanced version captures the emotional highs and lows of the creative process, while also underscoring the exceptional artistry and historical significance of porcelain craftsmanship in Jingdezhen.

How to Care for Your Sea Blossoms Teacup

• Rinse the teacup with water.
• Dry the silver-lined wall with a microfiber cloth.

Every Drop in the Ocean Counts

Immerse yourself in the magic of Sea Blossoms and become a part of a movement that celebrates both art and nature, while honoring the beauty and majesty of our oceans.