Twelve Flower Goddesses Cup – January Orchid – Xie Daoyun 謝道韞

JANUARY ORCHID · XIE DAOYUN 謝道韞

The orchid has long been admired for a beauty that never needs to announce itself. Quiet, restrained, and elegant, it carries a sense of character that is felt rather than displayed.

Xie Daoyun 謝道韞 is remembered in Chinese literary history for her intelligence, poetic talent, and composed spirit. Her story gives January’s orchid another layer of meaning — grace joined with intellect, and gentleness accompanied by inner strength.

This piece brings those qualities into everyday life. Soft green and blue tones flow through the sculptural Liuli orchid form, revealing changing layers of transparency as the light moves across it. It may hold tea or coffee, rest beside a favorite book, or simply catch the changing light of a room — a small reminder that presence does not need to be loud to be powerful.

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 orchid form works especially well where natural or ambient light can reveal the depth and translucency of the Liuli.

The soft green and blue palette brings a quiet point of color to interiors without overwhelming the surrounding space, pairing naturally with wood, stone, glass, and restrained neutral materials.

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 orchid.

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 at the end of the day.

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

Hold a flower, remember a story.