Explore/Tea & Teaware/Jingdezhen porcelain

Master cups

A master cup is your own cup at the tea table, bigger than the guest cups.

Chinese nameZhuren bei 主人杯

Belongs toOne drinker only

SizeBigger than a tasting cup

Sold asA single cup

Three shapes, three ways to drink

The tall body and slightly flared rim gather aroma at your nose. Good for fragrant oolong and green tea.

A deep body tapers toward a narrow foot, like a heart. It holds heat well and suits rich black tea and pu'er.

A wide cone that cools tea fast and shows its color. Sip with care, because it tips easily.

Every tea table has one cup nobody else touches.

选Check the foot. Thin walls with no foot ring can burn your fingers.

选Choose by your usual tea: closed rims for aroma, wide ones to cool.

选Look inside. A pale interior shows the color of the tea best.

选Let it differ from your set. It is meant to stand alone.

Hand-picked pieces are on the way.

What is a master cup?

A master cup is a personal tea cup kept by the host or tea lover. Guests get smaller tasting cups, and this one stays with its owner.

Is a master cup traditional?

Mostly no. Keeping a favorite cup is old, but the name and the fashion are fairly recent, tied to modern gongfu tea culture.

Is a master cup a good gift?

Yes, for someone who already drinks tea often. Choose one that suits the tea they love, since it will be their everyday cup.