Twelve Flower Goddesses Cup – July Lotus – Xi Shi 西施

JULY LOTUS · XI SHI 西施

July welcomes the lotus — serene, graceful, and quietly radiant. Rising from still water into the light, the lotus has long carried associations with purity, resilience, and an inner beauty that remains untouched by the world around it.

Xi Shi 西施 is remembered as one of the legendary beauties of ancient China, yet her enduring story reaches beyond appearance. Behind her grace was a woman associated with duty, sacrifice, and the quiet courage to carry the weight of a changing world.

That spirit finds a natural reflection in the lotus. Rooted beneath the water yet opening cleanly above its surface, the flower suggests a kind of strength that does not need to harden in order to endure — grace held together by resilience, wisdom, and quiet courage.

In this sculptural Liuli cup and saucer, soft pink lotus blossoms meet fresh translucent green. As light moves through the Liuli, the colors reveal delicate layers of transparency and depth, creating a composition that feels serene, luminous, and refined.

More than a cup, it is a reminder that true beauty is more than being admired — it is the wisdom to know what matters, the courage to carry what life asks of us, and the grace to remain ourselves.

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

The soft pink lotus and fresh green palette brings a calm, elegant presence to an interior, pairing naturally with wood, stone, glass, and restrained neutral materials while creating a gentle focal point within the surrounding space.

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 lotus 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 and bringing a moment of calm into the day.

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

Hold a flower, remember a story.