From the Warring States period to the Han Dynasty, primitive celadon cups emerged. The most representative of these were the Han Dynasty cups with an oval shape, shallow belly, long rim, and flat ears on the sides. Cups from the Sui Dynasty were mostly straight-mouthed, small celadon cups with a flat base. The Tang Dynasty was known for its sancai glazed pottery cups and patterned stoneware cups. At that time, it was also popular to have a set of drinking utensils consisting of a tray and several small cups. Cups in the Song and Yuan periods generally had straight mouths, shallow bellies, and ring or high feet, with the latter shaped like a trumpet. Song Dynasty cups often excelled in glaze color, such as those from Longquan Kiln and the Guan, Ge, Ru, and Jun kilns. Among them, the black underglaze decoration of Cizhou Kiln was particularly striking. Yuan Dynasty cups had heavy bodies, and their interiors were often adorned with small floral patterns. Cups made during the Ming and Qing dynasties were the most exquisite, with light and thin bodies, warm and smooth glazes, vibrant colors, and diverse shapes. Famous Ming Dynasty cups include the Yongle pressure-hand cup, Chenghua doucai high-footed cup, and the chicken cup, with many high-footed cups seen in the early to mid-Ming period. Qing Dynasty cups typically had straight mouths, deep bellies, and handles or no handles, as well as lids or no lids. Decorative techniques were rich and varied, including blue and white, polychrome, fencai, and various monochrome glazes.
The porcelain goblet is a tea-drinking utensil. Its basic shape has an open mouth and a small foot, with sloping straight walls, generally smaller than a rice bowl but larger than a wine cup. Archaeological and historical records indicate that porcelain goblets were being made as early as the Eastern Jin Dynasty. The actual objects found are straight-mouthed and straight-walled with a flat, cake-like foot, glazed in celadon, and decorated with fine, cracked glaze. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the custom of drinking tea gradually became widespread. In the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties period, the most famous tea goblets came from Yue Kiln in the south and Xing Kiln in the north. In the Tang Dynasty, the tea goblet was also called “Ou”. According to Lu Yu's “Tea Classic,” “The best Ou comes from Yue Prefecture, with a straight mouth and a slightly curled bottom, holding only half a sheng.” This gives us a general idea of the form of Yue Kiln goblets. Many Yue Kiln goblets were accompanied by saucers, which were often designed to resemble curled lotus leaves, supporting a lotus petal-shaped tea goblet, a very delicate and charming design. Yue Kiln goblets were characterized by fine bodies, even glazes, and a greenish hue, making them rightly considered top-quality by Lu Yu. Xing Kiln goblets were renowned for their “white as Snow” quality and were so widely loved that “people of all classes across the country used them.” From this, we can see how popular they were. In the Tang Dynasty, both northern and southern tea goblets commonly featured open mouths, sloping straight walls, and jade wall foot styles.
The custom of tea competition was highly prevalent in the Song Dynasty, and due to the ease of observing the white foam of tea, there was a particular admiration for the black-glazed goblets from Jian Kiln and Yonghe Kiln. Even Emperor Huizong Zhao Ji was no exception. In his “Comprehensive Tea Treatise,” he stated outright: “The color of the goblet should be valued as dark blue-black, with the best having clear and distinct silver lines.” Goblets with silver lines are what people commonly refer to as hare's fur goblets, produced in the Jianyang Kiln in Fujian. In the Song Dynasty, goblets generally came in two types: one with a small, shallow ring foot and sloping arched belly, and a straight rim; the other with a flared mouth like a trumpet, a small shallow ring foot, and sloping straight walls. Some were decorated with gold Painting, inscribed with the words “Mountain of Longevity, Sea of Happiness.” Apart from Jian Kiln, during the Song Dynasty, the imperial kilns, Ge Kiln, Ding Kiln, Jun Kiln, Longquan Kiln, Jizhou Kiln, and others all commonly produced tea goblets. Black-glazed tea goblets became relatively rare in the Yuan Dynasty, with more celadon pieces appearing. Yuan Dynasty tea goblets mostly had straight mouths and heavier bodies. White-glazed goblets made in the Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty were the most exquisitely crafted. Qinghua goblets from the Chenghua and Jiajing periods followed. Early Ming Dynasty goblets commonly had small, folded rims, deep bellies, and high ring feet. Later, in the middle to late Ming period, goblets tended to have small flared mouths, deep bellies, wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, with shallower ring feet. Decoration often included painted underglaze blue patterns, as well as doucai, polychrome, and monochrome glaze decorations. Qing Dynasty tea goblets surpassed those of previous dynasties in terms of shape, decorative techniques, and craftsmanship. Their fencai and cloisonné enamel painted small goblets were exquisite beyond compare. The basic shape was an open mouth, curved belly, and ring foot. In the early period, the feet were high, large, and deep, while in the later period, they were relatively low, small, and shallow, all meticulously made. In the history of the development of cups and goblets, cups appeared first, followed by goblets. Cups were primarily used for drinking alcohol, while goblets were mainly used for drinking tea. Cups were smaller in size, while goblets were larger. Cups often had high feet, while goblets typically had ring feet. Cup decorations were simple, while goblet decorations were complex. Through the evolution of cups and goblets, we can gain insight into the vast and profound tea and alcohol culture of the Chinese nation.