Twelve Flower Goddesses Cup – April Peony – Li Juan 麗娟

APRIL PEONY · LI JUAN 麗娟

April welcomes the peony — radiant, graceful, and magnificent, long admired as a symbol of beauty and splendor.

Li Juan 麗娟 is remembered in traditional accounts as a celebrated beauty of the Han court, admired not only for her appearance, but also for her enchanting voice and distinctive presence.

That spirit finds a natural companion in the peony. Full and luminous in bloom, the flower carries a sense of confidence and elegance — beauty that does not need to ask for attention.

In this sculptural Liuli cup and saucer, soft pink peonies unfold against fresh green leaves. As light moves through the translucent Liuli, the petals reveal changing layers of color and depth, bringing the richness of the peony gently into everyday life.

More than a cup, it is a small celebration of beauty with character — graceful, expressive, and entirely its own.

FOR DESIGNERS

A refined accent for tea rooms, reading corners, private studies, dining spaces, console tables, entry displays, display cabinetry, hospitality suites, hotel interiors, and curated gallery spaces. Its sculptural peony form works especially well where natural or ambient light can reveal the depth and translucency of the Liuli.

The soft pink and fresh green palette introduces a graceful floral presence to an interior, pairing naturally with wood, stone, glass, and restrained neutral materials while offering a luminous point of color.

THE ART OF LIULI

Created through an intricate lost-wax casting process, each piece begins with its own mold. After the wax is removed and the Liuli undergoes high-temperature forming, the outer mold must be broken away before the piece can be carefully refined, ground, and polished. Because of this process, small variations may appear from piece to piece. Subtle natural bubbles and gentle flowing patterns may also appear within the Liuli. These are characteristic of the making process and contribute to the individual character of each piece, rather than being considered defects.

One mold. One piece.

The colors are not painted onto the finished surface.

They are formed within the Liuli during the high-temperature process, becoming part of the material itself. As light passes through different colors and depths of Liuli, subtle variations in transparency and tone reveal the sculptural layers of the peony blossoms.

Because of this process, small variations may appear from piece to piece. These are part of the character of the making, giving each finished work its own individual presence.

Perhaps it becomes part of a quiet morning tea, an afternoon coffee beside a favorite book, or simply a beautiful object catching the light on a graceful spring day.

Twelve months. Twelve flowers. Twelve women. Twelve stories to carry with us.

Hold a flower, remember a story.