Fu Lu Shou Gaiwan

Setting classic Chinese imagery and ornateness in a simplified, modern form, this gaiwan features natural motifs in relief under a glaze of the slightest goldenrod hue. Those with keen eyes or fingers may be surprised at the pairing of a deer with a bat on the body, while a peach branch with ripe fruit adorns the lid. The choice lies in the age-old Chinese art of the visual pun: the bat and deer are each homophones for fú, fortune, and lù, prosperity, while the peach symbolizes shòu, longevity. Together, they are the three good wishes, often embodied in the triple god Sanxing in small altars across the country. The fine porcelain and delicate figures are augmented by painted rims of 24-karat gold on the bowl and button to not only wish the user good fortune, but include a little as well.

The bat and deer are reduplicated on the elegant Fu Lu Cup, a tall flute that will make you feel as elegant as blessed.

About the artist

Li Siqi is an emerging Jingdezhen potter. After graduating from the Fine Arts Department of Jiangxi Normal University, she spent half a year practicing ceramics at kilns in the southwest of China with a focus on sculpture and pottery. She fell in love with celadon and the Hutian kiln* (湖田窑), a famous kiln of the Song Dynasty, and has devoted herself to exploring the history of the craft.
In 2018, she established Qiwei (lit. ‘seven flavors’) Ceramics Studio in Jingdezhen, the capital of porcelain. It continues to inherit from the classic kilns, combining Song Dynasty gracefulness (Song Yun (宋韵), lit. ‘Song rhyme’) with modern lifestyles to create teaware with a historical touch for elegant yet practical chaxi.

*Hutian kiln is located is located in the Hutian Village, a suburb of Jingdezhen. The Hutian porcelain wares of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) were mainly decorated with fine patterns and made into beautiful shapes.