This medium-sized tea cup is decorated with sgraffito-carved floral patterns, wrapping the form in a continuous, gentle rhythm. The dark clay beneath the white slip gives the motifs a soft contrast, while the warm brown interior glaze brings depth and calm. The lightly raised foot and slightly flared rim create a balanced silhouette, making it suitable for daily tea rituals or as a quiet, traditional accent on the table.
Rooted in the ancient Sgraffito traditions of Cizhou ware, the Sgraffito Bloom collection features intricate hand-carved floral patterns on dark clay, layered with a delicate white slip. The technique of sgraffito creates a stark contrast between the textured surface and the smooth glaze, embodying both the history and craftsmanship of Chinese ceramics. Fired at 1260°C, these pieces hold a living connection to the past while offering a modern aesthetic.
NANYI Studio was founded by Ye Yu (叶宇), who was inspired by the ancient ceramic traditions of Jingdezhen(景德镇) and the surrounding regions. The studio’s work focuses on hand-thrown and hand-carved ceramics, blending ancient craftsmanship with modern design. Through original creations, NANYI brings timeless ceramic traditions into contemporary living spaces, offering objects that evoke both heritage and modernity. Every piece is fired at 1260°C, ensuring strength, beauty, and tactile depth, with each creation telling a story of patience, care, and devotion to craft.
Size:
Length: 8cm
Width: 8cm
Height: 6cm
Nanyi Studio
Hand-carved in Jingdezhen, each NANYI piece transforms centuries-old Cizhou carving traditions into a quiet modern rhythm.
Fired at 1260 °C with layered white slips and tea-tone clays, the surface bears the trace of every cut and breath.
ts restrained forms and tactile textures speak of time, patience, and the living beauty of handmade craft.
Material & Firing
Each piece is formed from NANYI’s signature black clay, a blend uniquely refined for density and warmth. The surface is finished with special Jingdezhen glazes and slips, then carved entirely by hand and fired at 1260 °C—a high-temperature process that renders the body firm, non-porous, and resistant to stains.
Traces of the artisan’s tools remain beneath the glaze, revealing the quiet dialogue between earth, fire, and hand.
Form & Aesthetics
NANYI’s forms flow with subtle symmetry and natural restraint. The curves are drawn from traditional vessel lines yet softened for modern life—graceful, balanced, and calm to the eye.
The tactile surface invites touch; its smooth glaze and fine weight offer both elegance and everyday durability.
Each piece embodies the studio’s belief that craftsmanship should feel alive in use—where ancient rhythm meets contemporary stillness.
A Steady Devotion to Clay
Born in Guizhou’s mountain light and rooted in the thousand-year Cizhou tradition, NANYI speaks in lines carved by hand—calm, precise, and quietly alive.
Working with dark clay, white slip, and a steady 1260 °C firing, the studio’s forms carry tea-green depths beneath a soft veil of white. Surfaces keep the trace of tools; edges stay human. These are pieces made to accompany the day—tea, flowers, a shelf of small light.
Founder Ye Yu returned home to build a kiln in the old family house, where local artisans gather to share methods. Nan is native soil; Yi is the spark within the kiln. In each vessel you can feel both: the patience of the ground and the lift of fire.
Gathered Drift follows wind-worn stone; Sgraffito Bloom layers dark clay and white slip in living echoes; Night Sip holds the hush of murals and relics—the touch of time meeting the warmth of the hand.
“I hope that when you touch my ceramics, you also feel this steady devotion.”
— Ye Yu, NANYI Studio
