A quiet atelier in Liuzhou’s glass quarter
Gao Lihua’s gaiwans are the better-known part of the Liuzhou line, but her bench also turns a handful of fairness pitchers each month — the “occasional gōng dào bēi” her own bio mentions almost in passing. Michael Zhan asked for a handle-less version after noticing how many of her regulars held her gaiwans by the cool upper rim rather than a handle; a pitcher built the same way, he reasoned, would disappear just as cleanly on the tea tray.
This 180ml model was shaped around that request. Gao thickened the upper band just enough to insulate the grip, then fire-polished the spout to a near-invisible edge. No moulds beyond the body shape, no machine cooling — each pitcher spends two full days in the annealer, the same schedule she uses for her gaiwans.
Michael selected this lot after testing the pour with a young Yunnan silver needle. He notes the glass doesn’t pull heat too fast, so the tea stays warm through three rounds, and the clarity makes it a natural companion to the rest of the Liuzhou range.