Of the studios we carry, Qing Ben Yuan 清本源 is the one whose work is most likely to end up in daily use without anyone treating it as an heirloom first. This Jingdezhen porcelain studio works traditional craftsmanship through a contemporary design language — and this is a closer look at what that means, the techniques behind it, and the five pieces from the studio in our collection.
The studio
Rooted in Jingdezhen and shaped by Eastern aesthetics, the studio reinterprets traditional craftsmanship through a contemporary design language, making objects for modern life and a global audience.
The second half of that sentence is the part that shows. The techniques are the city's — the same forming, the same painting, the same firing — but the proportions and the silhouettes are resolved for a table set today rather than reproduced from a museum case.
What sets Qing Ben Yuan apart
Look across the studio's pieces and a few habits repeat.
A hidden second layer
Qing Ben Yuan often uses mould-impressed decoration: a pattern formed within the porcelain itself, pressed into the inner surface from a carved mould, rather than printed onto it. It rewards a second look — or, on the lamp, a light switched on.
Traditional symbols, new rituals
Peonies, phoenixes, butterflies, Baoxiang flowers and scenes from classical literature all appear, but each piece is given a contemporary use: an espresso cup, a jewellery dish, a bedside light.
Painted, not printed
Where the studio paints, it paints by hand. The line has the speed of the hand that made it, and cobalt diffuses under the glaze the way it does when it is allowed to. We explain the technique in Behind the Blue.
Five pieces from Qing Ben Yuan
The Celestial Scroll Lamp
The Celestial Scroll Lamp turns Jingdezhen porcelain into a quiet source of light. Beneath a warm golden glaze, a continuous scroll-and-cloud motif is impressed from within. Unlit, it rests as a sculptural object; once lit, the concealed pattern gradually emerges through the porcelain. For bedside tables, reading corners and tea rooms.
The Pilgrimage Bowl
The Pilgrimage Bowl draws its narrative from Journey to the West — a story shaped not by perfection, but by the long journey towards it. Its imagery takes inspiration from historic woodblock prints, and gold-toned, kintsugi-inspired repair details highlight rather than disguise the appearance of fracture. For soup, noodles, shared dishes, or as a collectible object.
The Celestial Mandarin Fish Jewellery Dish
The Celestial Mandarin Fish Jewellery Dish brings together the heavens, water and life. A traditional Baoxiang floral motif becomes a celestial bloom in deep cobalt, surrounded by stars and moon-like details, while mandarin fish move among aquatic plants above a mould-impressed sea-wave interior. For jewellery, keepsakes or tea accessories.
The Butterfly Espresso Cup
The Butterfly Espresso Cup brings a distinctly Chinese language of colour and symbolism to the coffee ritual. Iron-red butterflies, some about to take flight and some at rest, move across a luminous sky-blue glaze shaped by temperature and kiln atmosphere. Inside, a mould-impressed phoenix waits to be found.
The Golden Peony Gaiwan
The Golden Peony Gaiwan brings one of China's most enduring floral symbols into white porcelain, sculpted relief and gold. The gaiwan's three parts — lid, bowl and saucer — are deeply rooted in Chinese tea culture; the lid tilts to control the infusion as you drink or pour.
All five are gathered in the Qing Ben Yuan collection.
Living with Qing Ben Yuan porcelain
These pieces are made to be used, and several carry details that need a little extra care. The gold on the gaiwan, the gold-toned repair details on the Pilgrimage Bowl and the iron-red butterflies on the espresso cup should never go in a microwave and should not go in a dishwasher — hand-wash in warm water with a mild detergent and a soft cloth, then dry straight away. The lamp should be unplugged and dusted with a dry cloth. Our full guide is Wash It by Hand.
And because every piece is made and fired by hand, yours will differ slightly from the photograph — a little more depth in a glaze, a shade in the blue. That is how you know it was made rather than manufactured. See Variation Is Not a Fault.
The studio among our makers
Qing Ben Yuan is one of three independent Jingdezhen studios behind most of our collection, alongside Qie Zhai 且斋 and LessKiln 无边窑. Each works differently: Qie Zhai rebuilds early Ming body-and-glaze relationships, while LessKiln takes a Zen-rooted, glaze-led approach. Read about all three in The Hands that Shape, or meet them on Meet the Atelier.
Questions about Qing Ben Yuan
Where is Qing Ben Yuan based?
Qing Ben Yuan 清本源 is an independent porcelain studio in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, China's historic porcelain capital.
What is mould-impressed porcelain?
A technique where a pattern is pressed into the porcelain from a carved mould, so the decoration is formed within the piece rather than printed onto its surface. It often shows most clearly when light passes through.
Are Qing Ben Yuan pieces made by hand?
Yes. Each piece is formed, decorated and glazed by hand in the studio and fired in Jingdezhen, so no two are exactly alike.
How many Qing Ben Yuan pieces does JingTale carry?
Five pieces in the current collection come from the studio: the Celestial Scroll Lamp, the Pilgrimage Bowl, the Celestial Mandarin Fish Jewellery Dish, the Butterfly Espresso Cup and the Golden Peony Gaiwan.