Welcome to Churchill's Fine Teas!
Continue Shopping
The first of a series of limited edition and exclusive teacup designs. The first design is inspired by Ti Kuan Yin Oolong Tea. A special card with the story of the cup and photos of the inspiration is included.
To celebrate the launch we are including a choice of an ounce of Ti Kuan Yin Oolong or Raspberry Oolong Tea (Ti Kuan Yin blended with raspberry pieces and leaves) with teacup purchase.
About Ti Kuan Yin
Near the tea fields where Ti Kuan Yin is grown, there is a temple dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy (Kuan Yin). Legend has it that a local farmer would stop by the temple regularly to burn incense and sweep out the leaves and debris. Kuan Yin appeared to the farmer in a dream and told him about a cave behind the temple holding something special. Kuan Yin told him to find it, and share it with the other farmers in his village. The farmer followed the instructions and found a tea sprig in the cave which he planted and when it was ready he discovered it made a very flavorful tea. He cut off sprigs from the tea bushes and gave them to neighboring farmers and together they began growing and producing the tea, naming it Ti Kuan Yin (Iron Goddess of Mercy) as a tribute.
When we visited the area we were inspired by the beautiful offering we saw at the temple, the flourishing tea leaves in the fields, and the care given during the tea production process. This experience inspired this collection, created in collaboration with SKT Ceramics, so we could share the story of the teas, garden to cup.
About SKT Ceramics
SKT Ceramics was founded in New York by artist Susannah Tisue in 2006, during her three-year artist residency at Greenwich House Pottery in Manhattan's West Village. After 7 years in Brooklyn, the SKT studio made a permanent home in Cincinnati, Ohio. Each high-fired porcelain piece merges Susannah's love of painting, printmaking, and the transformative process of reduction firing. The pieces are crafted on the thick side—taking the durability of porcelain and creating sturdy, rustic wares with a refined sensibility. Each one-of-a-kind piece reflects the detailed process used to make it and is designed to bring delight to your home and table for years to come.
Susannah says, "the design of these hand-thrown pieces was inspired by the scalloped detailing on the celadon pots at the temple, with a wraparound pattern of tea leaves and a tiny accent design that represents the leaf formation."
