There is something compelling about tea that goes beyond the ordinary. Each morning I sit with a Korean teacup, small, no handle, subtle in color and form, fitting my hand and gently conveying the warmth of tea. It is most often filled with Korean green tea – picked early in the spring – warm to both the hand and heart. Those moments take me away from the blur of daily life to peace and clarity. For me, that is “tea”.
One of My Park Jong Il Morning Tea Cups
Often that cup is one made by Park Jong Il. When I drink from one of his cups, I am reminded of his studio that we watched being built from raw clay and trees hewn nearby. It reminds me of the view from his mountaintop home – down across the valley. The cup reminds me of the firing of his kiln and the wood fly ash touching the cup as it reaches its mature temperature. It reminds me of his wonderful family - his wife Shin In-Suk and daughter Park Seo-Ryeon. It must be very difficult living so far from a city. It must be fantastic living so far from a city.
Drinking from his cup also reminds me of a memorable Korean Tea ceremony held especially for one of our tours just outside his studio. It was wonderful witnessing the full range of Park Jong Il’s tea ware being used as they should be.
A Korean Tea Ceremony Using Park Jong Il's Teaware
It is for these reasons that Morning Crane Tea was formed. Simply to bring you a little closer to the wonderful tea ware artists like Park Jong Il and fine organic Korean teas to fill those special teapots and cups.
I hesitated posting any sale on this particular blog. This blog is an information blog, a place to introduce artists and sometimes a little tea. But, this blog also has more followers and more ‘hits’ than any of my other blogs with the possible exception of Dawan Chawan Chassabal - that will never see a sale. So in an attempt to make Morning Crane Tea more visible we are posting these two sales. The first on tea, the second on tea ware. In the future any sales will be on our Morning Crane Tea Ware blog that will get more interesting throughout the year and a new tea blog dedicated to the teas we offer. That blog will be coming after the spring tea harvest. We will have more teas to offer and by then our technical difficulties may be solved allowing us to work on our web sites again. Please publicly join our Tea Ware blog as we will introduce new tea ware artists there, each with a limited quantity sale. Bear in mind we are primarily a wholesale distributor not a regular on-line retail teashop. If you have a legitimate retail store and are interested in handling any of our teas or tea ware contact us.
I have had to separate Park Jong Il’s offerings into two parts: Teapots and Teacups.
So that you too may be able to sit some mornings with a Park Jong Il cup - warming both your heart and hand, I would like to introduce his current cup offerings.
Park Jong Il’s cups sell for as much as $30 in the West and deservedly so.
Park Jong Il's 'Chatchan'
To contact us to reserve your cup or cup set, click on the number associated with your choice. Click on the photos to enlarge them for a better view .
I really like the purity of porcelain against tea. For many years I made Dagi Sets 다기 or tea sets with cups, mine with un-matching forms. I had studied with a Japanese porcelain cultural treasure, an amazing experience, but one in which he had me make every cup exactly alike – two hundred a day. While I value greatly those skills, I came to believe in cups like chawan - as individual servants of tea. I suppose it is the Korean in me. In any case when you have a variety of cup forms you usually don’t have to say, “Which cup is mine?”
How do I look at 'matching tea sets'? They are like ones waiters or waitresses, dressed the same, but each with their own individual personality.
These cups measure approx. 1.75" H by 2.25 D and 1.50 H by 2.75" D. A great pair.
This wonderful stoneware 3 cup set is perfect for any collection. Neutral in color they will complement any tea. They are a set but upon closer inspection their individuality emerges. Their form, one of my favorite forms, mimics many Korean chawan. Subtle and beautiful.
These cups are larger, measuring between 1.8" and 2" H and 3.25" and 3.5" D. A beautiful set, flashed by the fire, the photo does not do them justice.
3 Single Stoneware Cup: $22.50 SOLD
This is a very ‘warm’ cup and one that will fit your hand beautifully as you savor your morning or evening tea. It too mimics many Korean chawan. I am enamored with tea ware that shows the process of the production of the piece. The single drip is charming. The cup - warm and inviting.
This cup measures 1.75" H and 3" D. One of my favorites.
4 A ‘Gqey-yl’ Cup Set: $67.50 SOLD
A rare buncheong ‘gqey yl’ or brushed slip set from Mr. Park. Each cup stands as an individual and together reminding me of many historical moments in Korean ceramic history. I’m currently preparing a post on an older buncheong chawan. Watch for it on one of my other blogs. Buncheong decorating processes are among my favorite processes. These are made beautifully. If you don’t have a buncheong ‘gqey yl’ set in your collection. Here is your opportunity.
These cups measure between 1.3" and 1.6" H and 2.48 and 2.75 D. One of my favorite groups.
5 A ‘Tum-bung-mun’ Individual Cup: $22.50 SOLD
This beautifully calming cup is decorated with another buncheong decorating process called ‘tum bung mun’ in Korean. In this case the cup is dipped into white slip before the bisque firing then glazed partially with a clear glaze and fired in his wood kiln. It is made beautifully. If you don’t have a buncheong ‘tum bung mun’ cup in you collection. Here is your opportunity.
This cup measures 2" H and 3.12" D.
This cup measures 2" H and 3.12" D.
6 A ‘Gqey-yl’ Individual Cup: $22.50 SOLD
This cups is similar to the cups in ‘4’ above but larger. Warm in color it will fit your hand beautifully. It is wonderfully made with superb 'flashing' on the clay body. If you don’t have a buncheong ‘gqey yl’ cup in you collection. Here is a great opportunity.
This cup measures 2" H and 3.25" D. You will enjoy this cup.
This cup measures 2" H and 3.25" D. You will enjoy this cup.
7 A ‘Tum-bung-mun’ Individual Cup: $25.00 SOLD
Like 5 above, this beautiful cup is decorated with the buncheong decorating process called ‘tum bung mun’ in Korean. In this case the cup is dipped into white slip before the bisque firing then glazed partially with a clear glaze and fired in his wood kiln. But this cup has an added feature that, like the cup in my collection that opened this post, illustrates a rare kiln phenomenon - reduction-oxidation spotting. This occurs when during the firing the cup captures both the reduction gray and oxidation white in random patterns. Thank you ‘orumgama’. If you don’t have a buncheong ‘tum bung mun’ cup with these rare spots in you collection, here is your opportunity. It is made beautifully and is one of my favorites. Perhaps I should have put it up for bids.
This cup measures 2" H and 3.2" D.
This cup measures 2" H and 3.2" D.
Do we have a 'Tea Special' for those who purchase a Park Jong Il cup at these sale prices? We do! It is $2.00 off any of the sale prices on our tea seen at the now ended tea sale.
Do we have special 'public blog follower' prices for these cups? Of course, but you will have to contact me to find out what they are.
Go To Next Park Jong Il Post
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