[清本源 x Gohobi Gallery] Thin-Body Blue & White Bell Cup with Inner-Impressed “Li Bai by the Fire” Design (80ml)

This thin-body bell cup translates literary spirit into porcelain, drawing upon the image of the poet Li Bai to reflect a deeper cultural memory of withdrawal, resilience, and quiet defiance.

The composition known as “Li Bai by the Fire” borrows the figure of the Poet Immortal to echo the mindset of late Ming scholars during the Chongzhen era—an age marked by turmoil, retreat, and moral endurance. The imagery is not celebratory, but introspective, using Li Bai as a symbolic vessel for the scholar’s inner stance: stepping away from the world while remaining unbroken within it.

The blue-and-white painting is executed with decisive, expressive line work. Robe folds are rendered using angular, broken strokes that turn sharply and abruptly, carrying a raw tension reminiscent of late-Ming figure painting. The lines are deliberately coarse in places, revealing strength through restraint rather than polish. Beard and hair are drawn with tapered, forceful strokes—fine yet unyielding—suggesting a spirit that bends without surrender.

The surrounding space is treated with intentional restraint. Background elements are reduced to fragments: partial mountains, sparse vegetation, and large areas of open white. This use of negative space creates an atmosphere of desolation and reflection, evoking the feeling of a world diminished while inner resolve remains intact. The emptiness does not signal absence, but rather unspoken emotion—landscape and history held in silence.

Li Bai’s posture varies between leaning against stone in drunken repose and holding a cup while gazing outward. His expression carries both freedom and solitude, a balance of unrestrained spirit and quiet sorrow. This duality mirrors the late-Ming literati condition of seeking refuge through intoxication and poetry, yet remaining fully conscious of the world’s collapse. In this way, the figure becomes a timeless reflection of intellectual independence and emotional endurance.

The bell cup form enhances this contemplative narrative. Its curved walls and upright stance offer a comfortable, grounded grip, allowing the cup to sit naturally in the hand. The thin porcelain body responds sensitively to temperature and touch, encouraging slow, attentive sipping and quiet observation.

Diameter: 6.5 cm
Height: 5 cm
Capacity: 80 ml

The listed price is for one cup. Each piece is individually handcrafted, and subtle variations in cobalt tone, brushwork, and inner impression are part of its unique character. Customers are welcome to request a private video viewing for a closer look. Orders are shipped using reused or recycled packaging wherever possible.

A tea cup where poetry, history, and form converge—holding within it the solitude of the scholar, the fire of conviction, and a quiet space for reflection with every sip.