Park Jong Il's Da-hae Tea Sets

In February 2010 I created a post on how the tea ware artist Park Jong Il handles water and introduced the da-sun (tea-boat) and da-hae (tea-sea).  When we speak about them in English we ofter refer to them as "boat and ocean" sets  in Korea simply as "da-hae" sets.  With this post we are able to offer four sets, each set represents something special about the work of Park Jong Il.

One should know that Park Jong Il carefully develops different clay bodies for his different styles of work.  Those clay bodies form the foundation for the work and glazed or unglazed they impact the final piece in profound ways.  

Since I have been offering Park Jong Il's teapots, a significant number of customers from Asian countries are finding us and buying his sets.  While their backgrounds and experience with tea varies, like all of us, each have expressed to me how wonderful they think his teapots are.  I will be posting on one of these tea connoisseurs in another blog in the near future.  

Historically, I have not had many dae-hae sets to offer.  In fact these will be shipped directly to you from Park Jong Il's studio in the mountains of Gyeongju, Korea.  Park Jong Il selected these dae-hae sets especially for this offering.  

I suggest that you wait for the "kicker'.  What does that mean?

White Da-hae Set

1. White Da-hae Set: $600: This beautiful set features a teapot with ‘snale’ knob and unglazed interior.  This teapot will ‘patina’ and season.  It is sitting on a da-sun (tea-boat) in a da-hae (tea-sea).  In addition the set includes a tea caddy, 5 cups, a cooling bowl, serving pitcher and a teapot lid stand.

Made of a 'porcelain' clay this teapot still 'breathes' and will develop the sought after 'crackle' patina indicating the proper seasoning of the pot.  This effect is greatly desired by knowledgeable tea connoisseurs.

Buncheong Da-hae Set

2. Buncheong Da-hae Set: $400: This beautiful set features a ‘tum-bung-mun’ surface.  The teapot with plain knob and glazed interior sits on a short da-sun sitting in the da-hae (tea-sea).  In addition the set includes 5 cups, a cooling pitcher and serving pitcher as well as a teapot lid stand. 

Buncheong is the term used for Korean pottery ware that has used liquid clay or 'slip' to decorate the surface.  Usually white 'slip' is used.  Thee ae many ways of decorating in this way.  The ‘tum-bung-mun’ method involves quickly dipping the freshly made piece into a container of thin 'slip' and after bisque firing applying a glaze over the slip.  Park likes to partially glaze his work, exposing some 'slip' and revealing the process.  When fired, the glaze often takes on oxidation 'spots', a highly desired effect.   

Large Dark Da-hae Set

3. Large Dark Da-hae Set: $800: This beautiful natural fly-ash set features a large da-hae (tea-ocean), teapot sitting on a da-sun (tea-boat) in the large da-hae.  In addition the set includes a tea caddy, 5 cups, a cooling/ serving teapot with strainer top, serving pitcher, tea leaf funnel and a teapot lid stand.

This set is similar to the set Park Jong Il uses on a daily basis to serve tea and for tea ceremonies.

Park Jong Il's dark cups are glazed for sanitary purposes.  The remainder of the set is unglazed except for the natural  wood fly-ash flashing.

Dark Dahae Set

4. Dark Dahae Set: $500: This beautiful set features a da-hae (tea-ocean) teapot sitting on a da-sun (tea boat) in the da-hae.  In addition the set includes 5 cups decorated in the ‘gqey-yl’ buncheong style, a cooling/ serving teapot with strainer top, tea leaf funnel and a teapot lid stand. 

This smaller dark natural fly-ash set has 5 cups featuring the ‘gqey-yl’ buncheong style.  This is done by painting the surface with 'slip' or liquid clay using a rough brush.  Like #3 above, the cups are glazed for sanitary reasins.     

Now here is the "kicker" or incentive.  You may know that we are also offering Park Jong Il's favorite tea.  It is a hwang-cha or Korean yellow tea made by the artisan producer Jeong Jae Yeun.  Even though we are nearly sold out of our first shipment of this tea, it is the holiday season and I'm feeling generous.  The "kicker" is, if you purchase a 50g bag of Park Jong Il's favorite hwangcha I will deduct 15% from the price of any of these sets.  I know I could do it the other way around but this way you would save much more.  Note: this offer will not "double", that is if you buy two bags of hwangcha we will not take 30% off the price.  But we will take 10% off the price of any second bag of tea we offer up to 4 bags.  Please contact us for information or to reserve your da-hae set.  By the way, this 15% discount offer with the purchase of tea extends to all the work we have in stock by Park Jong Il.  Interested?  Contact us.  All prices are plus shipping. 

    

Dong Cheon Tea Ware

Many tea drinkers are beginning to discover the wonderful teas produced by Dong Cheon Tea.  This post will introduce you to the large variety of hand formed tea ware produced for sale in their tea shop in Insadong, Seoul.  We are offering these items primarily as "shop items" rather than for individual purchase.  We do not carry these items in stock ever.  If you as an individual are interested in a small amount of this tea ware contact us to see if there is a store near you.  If you are interested in purchasing 5 or more items we may be able to help directly. Contact us.  If you have a legitimate tea ware outlet, contact us for great wholesale prices.  
Insadong is one of Seoul's more important art, antique and tea centers.  When you are in Seoul, it is a must see area to visit.  Join us on our next Tea Tour Korea.

I actually debated if I should post these images or not.  These images were taken with a cell phone so the true color and character of the ware will not be seen to its fullest.  I decided to post these because I lost other images due to the theft of my laptop computer and will replace images here as I am able to get better ones from Korea.  

It is about time you knew about the availability of this and the other tea ware we have been adding to our artists list and will be posting here.   Follow us officially to be informed when they are available.

All of this work is hand formed in Korea and exclusive to Dong Cheon Tea.  All prices are retail in Korea.  If you are a tea business, contact us at Morning Crane Tea for wholesale inquiries.

Teacup or Gaein Dagi Sets 다기

These Korean tea cup sets come in a variety of colors with and without handles.  Along with the travel sets, they are great for individual brewing.   See other color options below.  Retail prices in Korea run from $15.00 to $20.00 USD.  Wholesale prices on request from legitimate retail outlets depend on the number ordered.

Travel or Yeohanggi Sets 여행기

Blue and white porcelain travel set with two cups. Retail in Korea for $29.95. Wholesale prices on request from legitimate retail outlets. 

Reduction spot travel set with one cup. Retail in Korea $24.00.  Wholesale prices on request from legitimate retail outlets depend on the number ordered.  These come in a variety of colors.  Contact us. 

Teapot or Dagi Sets 다기
 

This celadon teapot set with three cups retails for $97.50 in Korea.  Teapot sets come in 3 or 5 cup sets with teapot, cooling bowl and other items.  Wholesale prices on request from legitimate retail outlets.

This 3 cup copper red teapot set (two in image) is $95.00 retail in Korea.   Wholesale prices on request.  Contact us.

Color Options

 

Here are a few of the color options available.  See also above the blue and white and spot reduction examples.  The Korean Cup sets, Travel Sets and Tea Pots all come in the various options shown.  All are hand formed and fired in reduction.  Please contact us for wholesale prices if you are a legitimate retail outlet.  Prices are plus shipment from Seoul.  Contact us.

The above items are offered by Dong Cheon Tea.  To access a sale of their teas click here.  You will note that that sale has ended but if you contact me and tell me you saw that sale here, I may be able to sell you the tea at the same prices.   

Our goal is to make this site the go to site for tea ware on the web.  We have a wide collection of outstanding tea ware artists including some of the most highly respected artists in Korea.

You may be wondering why I became interested in offering selected Korean tea ware and teas.  In spite of what you may think it is not for financial gain.  I could make much more doing other things.  However, as you know neither Korean tea nor Korean tea ware artists have been widely available to the Western market.  On our many trips to Korea we have found many excellent ceramic artists and fine tea producers.  We formed Morning Crane Tea simply to help those tea ware artists and tea producers expand their market to the West.  Essentially we did it for them and for you who are interested in Korean tea and tea ware.  It is simply a way of giving back.     

We hope that you will join us by becoming an official "public" member of this site.   This is the blog where we will introduce  new tea ware artists throughout 2012.  Having difficulty joining?  Contact us and we may be able to help.