A CRAFT CARRIED FORWARD

Woven for coffee, at home with tea.

Known in China as citai zhubian (瓷胎竹编), porcelain-body bamboo weaving grew from the centuries-old practice of wrapping functional vessels in finely prepared bamboo. Over generations, the craft found a natural place on porcelain tea ware, bringing bamboo, porcelain, and handwork into the rituals of everyday tea.

The Daily Cup is not a reproduction of a traditional tea vessel. Made in collaboration with Liu Luolin and her studio, it is THE YUNXI’s contemporary expression of the craft—a familiar everyday form created for coffee and equally at home with tea.


China National Intangible Cultural Heritage · Project VII-51 · Listed in 2008
Meet the Maker

MATERIAL EXPERIENCE

What bamboo changes

The bamboo is not applied as decoration alone. Woven directly around the porcelain body, it changes how the cup meets the hand—adding a thermal buffer, a distinctive tactile surface, and the natural character of a handworked material.

More comfortable to hold

Compared with exposed porcelain, the woven bamboo noticeably reduces the direct heat felt through the covered area, creating a more comfortable place to hold the cup. It does not make the cup heatproof, and the cup should still be handled with care when filled with freshly boiled drinks.

Texture where your hand meets the cup

The fine weave adds a distinctive texture exactly where the cup is naturally lifted and held. Compared with smooth porcelain, it creates a more secure-feeling point of contact and gives the cup the distinctive tactile character of handwoven bamboo, while the exposed rim remains smooth at the lips.

Each cup, naturally individual

Bamboo brings natural tone, tactile depth, and visual rhythm to white porcelain. Subtle variations in color and weave give each cup its own character, while the handwoven surface becomes increasingly familiar through everyday use.

Explore The Craft

Across the Day

A quiet pause, close at hand.

Throughout the day, your hand returns to the cup beside you. Your palm meets the fine texture and rhythm of the weave; for a moment, attention moves from the screen and the flow of thought back to what you are holding. It does not ask the world to slow down. It simply offers a quiet pause each time you lift it.

  • Morning coffee

    For the first pour of the day.

  • A Shared Pause

    For coffee, tea, and an unhurried hour together.

  • Tea after dinner

    For the quiet close of day.

CHOOSE YOUR TONE

The Daily Cup

IN DAILY USE

What they noticed

  • “The first morning I used it, I poured coffee and noticed the difference as soon as I picked it up. The exposed porcelain near the top felt hot, while the bamboo-covered area was comfortably warm in my hand. The weave feels dry and lightly textured—not rough—and that ended up being the detail I noticed most.”

    Sarah M. · Executive based in Shanghai

  • “Pretty much every coffee cup I own has a handle, so this one felt different right away. I use it for coffee in the morning, then water later in the day. Without a handle, it looks clean and modern—simple without feeling plain. The bamboo gives my hand a natural place to hold, and I find myself running my thumb over the weave.”

    Daniel R. · French athlete
    Represented France at The World Games 2025 Chengdu

  • “I gave the Baked cup to my sister for her birthday. She’s particular about what she keeps in her kitchen, so I wasn’t sure what she’d think. She noticed the darker bamboo right away and picked it up to look at the weave. A few days later, she sent me a photo of it with her morning coffee. I took that as a good sign.”

    Emily K. · Dallas, Texas

THE YUNXI

Objects for quieter living

THE YUNXI creates considered home objects
that bring attention back to the hand—
through materials that remain distinct
and the visible trace of skilled making.

Made to be held, returned to,
and lived with over time.

Bamboo over Porcelain is where the story begins—
with porcelain prepared in small batches
and bamboo woven by hand to order.

Explore Our Philosophy