Jian Shui · Water Vessel

A Small Essential for the Gongfu Tea Table

A well-prepared tea table is not only about the teapot and cups. Some of the most important tea ware is designed to quietly handle everything that happens between each infusion.

Jian Shui, also known as a Water Vessel, is a traditional piece of Chinese literati tea ware used to collect tea waste and excess water during tea preparation.

Use it to rinse your tea, discard leftover tea liquor, collect used tea leaves, or let your tea pet drain into it.

Small, elegant, and practical, it keeps your tea table clean without taking up valuable space.

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A Cleaner Way to Brew Tea

During Gongfu tea preparation, there is often water that you don't want to drink:

• Water used to rinse the tea
• Leftover tea liquor
• Excess water from your teapot or cups
• Used tea leaves
• Water poured over a tea pet

Instead of pouring everything onto the tea tray, simply pour it into the Water Vessel.

This creates a much cleaner and more hygienic tea setup.

Traditional tea trays collect waste water underneath the tray, often very close to your teapot and drinking cups. A separate Water Vessel keeps waste water contained in one dedicated place.

Less mess. Less water around your cups. A cleaner tea table.

 

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Inspired by “The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea”

The body of this Water Vessel is made using Yaozhou Kiln ceramic, featuring artwork inspired by the traditional Chinese legend “The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea.”

The Eight Immortals are beloved figures in Chinese folklore, each carrying their own distinctive magical object. The story has been a popular subject in Chinese painting, ceramics, and traditional decorative arts for centuries.

Rather than being hidden away in a cabinet, this Water Vessel is designed to be part of your tea table.

A practical tea tool by function, and a piece of traditional Chinese art by character.

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Antique-Finished Alloy Copper Lid

The Water Vessel is topped with an alloy copper lid.

The surface has been deliberately given an antique finish, creating a naturally aged, understated appearance.

The warm metallic tone contrasts beautifully with the ceramic body, giving the piece a more traditional and sophisticated feel.

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A Crane-Shaped Drainage Opening

Look closely and you'll find one of the most charming details of this Water Vessel:

the drainage opening is shaped like a crane.

The crane is traditionally associated in Chinese culture with longevity, elegance, and good fortune.

It is a small detail, but one that gives this otherwise practical vessel its own personality.

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Compact Size for Modern Tea Tables

With a capacity of approximately 250 ml, this is a deliberately compact Water Vessel.

It is large enough for everyday Gongfu tea sessions, while remaining small enough to sit quietly beside your tea tray without taking over the table.

Dimensions

• Capacity: 250 ml
• Opening Diameter: 7 cm / 2.76 in
• Height: 7.5 cm / 2.95 in
• Material: Yaozhou Kiln Ceramic
• Lid: Antique-finished Alloy Copper
• Design: Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea
• Drainage Opening: Crane-shaped

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One Small Vessel, Many Uses

Rinse your tea.
Pour away the first infusion without reaching across the table.

Discard leftover tea.
Any tea liquor you don't want to drink can go directly into the vessel.

Collect used tea leaves.
A convenient place for tea waste during a longer tea session.

Use it with your tea pet.
Place your tea pet above the vessel and let the water drain directly inside.

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A Quiet Essential of the Tea Table

A Water Vessel may not be the first thing you notice on a Gongfu tea table.

But once you start using one, you'll quickly understand why traditional tea drinkers have kept this simple piece of tea ware for generations.

It doesn't take much space.

It doesn't demand attention.

It simply keeps the tea table clean, organized, and elegant.

Small in size. Essential in function.
A traditional piece of Chinese tea ware made for everyday Gongfu tea.