The piece
Octagonal form; a snow-scene figure seeking plum in snow, cold fragrance seen at the facet turns. Fully hand-made one-of-a-kind.
Reading the snow
The octagonal cup’s form speaks first: eight facets, like folded snow paper. The body paints ‘Seeking Plum in Snow’—a scholar with staff, a slanting cold plum; what he seeks is not the plum but the unwilling-to-settle mood in the snow.
The octagonal vessel shows no mercy to the curved surface; every facet turn is a turn of the brush. Yuan Jinming answers with snow-scene figures: facets are the mountain’s bones, snow the skin, the figure walks between facet lines—just fitting the dynamic of the word ‘seek’.
One-of-a-kind, unique. Octagonal cups are rare to begin with; hand-painted snow-scene octagonal cups rarer still—a piece where form and painting are kindred spirits collects not just a cup but the mood of ‘visiting Dai on a snow night’.
H5 ⌀6.5 cm, a cup’s measure of tea, best slow and alone. Angles against the palm have edges and corners; held in winter, they feel grounded.
From the studio
The octagonal form is hardest to balance; at the turns you see snow, and the cold fragrance.
Private enquiry
Each piece is painted entirely by hand, without moulds, and exists only once. The guide price in AUD is shown on this page. Current availability is confirmed by email before any arrangement is made.