Tea Cups, Iron (pair)

Two small handleless cups, 150 ml each, sized for tea poured from a pot rather than a mug. The walls flare so the rim is comfortable to drink from, and the bare clay foot gives a dry place to hold.

With no handle they get hot: fill them about two-thirds full with just-boiled tea and hold them by the foot and the rim. They are sold as a pair, both in the glaze you choose.

Iron is a glossy near-black that turns rust brown wherever it thins, on rims, edges and handles; how much rust shows varies from piece to piece. Hard-water marks show on it more than on the paler glazes, so dry it after washing.

Specification

• Glaze: Iron (glossy brown-black, rust at the rims)
• Two cups, same glaze
• Capacity: 150 ml (5 fl oz) each, to the brim
• Size: approx. 7.5 cm across the rim, 6.5 cm tall (3 × 2.6 in)
• No handle; bare clay foot ring
• Weight: approx. 0.3 kg for the pair (0.7 lb)
• Material: stoneware, glazed inside and out, with a bare clay foot
• Glaze safety: lead-free. Applied by dipping, so the glaze line at the foot is uneven and differs from piece to piece
• Dishwasher safe (top rack) and microwave safe; not for stovetop, oven or freezer
• Dispatched from Hong Kong within 2 to 4 business days

Care. Rinse after use and let the piece dry before you put it away; the bare clay foot darkens a little when wet and dries back. Top-rack dishwasher use is fine, but washing by hand keeps the glaze looking newer for longer. Microwave safe. Keep it off the stovetop, out of the oven and out of the freezer, and avoid shocking it: do not pour boiling water into a piece that has just come out of the fridge. More on Care & Materials.