Gift ideas

Mother's Day gift for a mom who has everything

Choose one hand-painted cup, something she would not buy for herself but will drink her coffee or tea from.

For Mother's Day, order by April 19 to have it in time.

• Flower-Rim Cup and Saucer with Painted Animals$98 · 8.5 fl ozA handleless cup on its saucer, with the rim pinched by hand into petals and a cat or a bunny painted on it by hand.
• Garden Relief Cup and Saucer$59 · 8.5 fl ozSpeckled stoneware with a wavy rim, a matching saucer and a raised blossom, tree or heart painted by hand.
• Two Painted Cats$150 · 2 piecesTwo cat cups drawn freehand, if she has her coffee with someone.

When to choose something else. If she likes everything to match exactly, skip the painted pieces. No two come out the same.

My girlfriend loves art. What is an affordable art piece I can give her?

A hand-painted cup. The painter draws on each one with a brush before it is glazed and fired, and no two come out the same. Ours run from $30 to $130.

• Brush-Painted Cat Cup$75 · 8.5 fl ozLoose freehand brushwork, close to a sketch. The drawing, the line and the color change from cup to cup.
• Lychee Square Cup$25 · 2 fl ozA small square cup with lychees painted on white porcelain.
• Flower-Rim Cup and Saucer with Painted Animals$98 · 8.5 fl ozMuted painted panels on a dark speckled clay, with a petal rim pinched by hand.

When to choose something else. If she wants something only to display, a print or a vase may suit her better. These are made to be used and washed.

Best gift for a cat lover who already owns cat mugs

Give a hand-painted cat cup. Ours are painted by hand, each cat comes out a little different, and none will repeat a printed mug they already own.

• Brush-Painted Cat Cup$75 · 8.5 fl ozA cat in fine freehand line, among flowers or in a meadow.
• Cat Tea House Cup$38 · 9.1 fl ozA black cat in the window of a little tea shop under an orange awning, painted by hand on dark clay.
• Bakery Cat Coffee CupsFrom $36 · 8.5 fl ozA cat drawn as a loaf of bread, with a little clay cat on the handle. Buy it alone, with a saucer and a baguette spoon, or on a cat-shaped tray.
• Cat Relief Mug$58 · 9.5 fl ozA dark clay mug with a clay cat on it. On one the cat lies along the rim above a painted ladder; on the other it wears red boxing gloves and is the handle.

When to choose something else. We do not paint portraits of a particular cat.

Gift for a coffee lover who is picky about their cup

Buy for the way they drink it: a small cup for espresso or a flat white, a milk pitcher if they pour their own milk, a big mug if they drink slowly all morning.

• Folded Coffee Service$109 · 3 piecesTwo folded porcelain cups and a milk pitcher.
• Crumpled Cup Set with Stand$158 · 5 fl ozSix crumpled cups that hang on an iron stand, with six saucers that stack on its wooden base. Each cup holds about 5 fl oz, the size of a cortado.
• Pine Forest Mug$32 · 16.9 fl ozA tall white mug printed with pines and red mushrooms. It holds 16.9 fl oz, enough for a full drip coffee.

When to choose something else. If they drink from a 20 oz tumbler, none of ours is that big. Our largest mug holds 16.9 fl oz.

Gift for a boyfriend who drinks coffee every morning

Give him a cup for his first coffee of the day. Most people who drink coffee every morning use the same favorite mug, and a well-made cup can take its place.

• Black Cup with Apple Lid$25 · 13.5 fl ozA tall glossy black cup with dented sides and a dark red apple lid that keeps dust off.
• Wild Frost Cup and Wooden Saucer$38 · 10.8 fl ozA milky white cup whose glaze stops in a thick drip over speckled bare clay, on a round wooden saucer.
• Crumpled Cup Set with Stand$158 · 5 fl ozSix small dented cups with saucers on an iron stand, for the one who makes espresso at home.

When to choose something else. If he drinks a 20 oz cold brew, none of ours is big enough.

What to buy grandparents for Christmas who say they want nothing

Give them new cups for the coffee or tea they already drink together every morning. Two cups take no extra room in the cupboard, and they will think of you when they use them.

For Christmas, order by December 5 to have it in time.

• Crane Tea for Two$69 · 3 piecesA small teapot and two cups in speckled green with silver cranes, for grandparents who drink tea.
• Ladder Cat and Boxing Cat$116 · 2 piecesTwo dark clay mugs with cats modeled on them, one lying along the rim and one in boxing gloves as the handle, for coffee drinkers who like a full mug.
• Orchard for Two$77 · 2 piecesTwo apple cups with saucers, one red and one green, a little different from each other on purpose.

When to choose something else. The crane pieces are washed by hand and kept out of the microwave, because the cranes are silver.

Classy gift for my boss that is not too personal

Give one small cup in a gift box. Your boss can use it at work, it is not personal, and it does not cost so much that it looks like you want something.

• Bamboo and Orchid Square Cups$35 · 2.7 fl ozTwo small square cups, one painted with blue bamboo and one with a pink orchid, in one gift box with a paper bag, ready to hand over.
• Garden Relief Cup and Saucer, Grove$59 · 8.5 fl ozA speckled stoneware cup and saucer with two raised trees painted on, quiet enough for any desk.
• Folded-Paper Tall Cup$35 · 6.4 fl ozA tall white porcelain cup with the creases of a crumpled paper cup, for a boss who drinks a flat white.

When to choose something else. If your boss drinks from a 20 oz travel mug, these are too small. The square cups hold 2.7 fl oz.

Gift for a coworker, teacher or Secret Santa under $35

A $30 cup. Several of ours at that price are hand-painted. Shipping is $17.95 on orders under $89; three cups in one order ship free.

• Apple-on-the-Rim Cup$25 · 8.5 fl ozA small cream cup with one red apple painted by hand on the front and a tiny clay apple sitting on the rim. One of our best sellers.
• Square Flower-Rim Cup, Pink Orchid$25 · 2.7 fl ozA tiny square teacup with a pink orchid painted by hand. It comes in a gift box with a paper bag.
• Gourd Fruit Mug$25 · 14.2 fl ozA 14.2 fl oz mug with a beaded handle and its own spoon, for a coffee drinker.

When to choose something else. If the exchange is this week, it will not arrive in time: delivery takes about 10 to 20 days.

What can I buy my mom for Christmas? She drinks tea every day.

Give her a small tea set: a teapot or a gaiwan with its own cups. She probably owns plenty of mugs, and a small pot is something she will brew in each morning.

For Christmas, order by December 5 to have it in time.

• Crane Tea Service$94 · 4 piecesThe teapot, two flower-rimmed cups and a jar for the leaves. Speckled green, with silver cranes laid on by hand.
• Lychee Tea Set$105 · 4 piecesA gaiwan and three small cups in three shapes, each with lychees painted by hand.
• Gaiwan Tea for One$58 · 2 piecesThe lychee gaiwan with one cup, for a mom who has her tea on her own.

When to choose something else. If she drinks one big mug of tea from a bag, buy her a large mug instead. These pots and cups are small and made for several short pours.

Why give an apple cup at Christmas?

In China people give apples on Christmas Eve, 平安夜 (píng'ān yè, the night of peace). The word for apple, 蘋果 (píngguǒ), starts with the same sound as 平安, peace. An apple cup follows the same custom and lasts longer than the fruit.

For Christmas, order by December 5 to have it in time.

• Apple-on-the-Rim Cup$25 · 8.5 fl ozOne red apple painted by hand on a small cream cup, with a tiny clay apple on the rim.
• Apple Lid Mug$28 · 14.2 fl ozA mug with a glossy red apple for a lid, in a red gift box with a checked handle.
• Orchard for Two$77 · 2 piecesTwo apple cups and saucers, one with red painted apples and one with green raised ones.

Good White Elephant gift around $30 that people will actually fight over

Choose something funny that the winner will still use after the game. A cup with a burger painted on it, or with an apple for a lid, gets a laugh when it is unwrapped and still holds a full coffee.

• Midsummer Party Cup$25 · 8.8 fl ozA dented cream cup with tiny raised party things painted on: a burger, a cocktail, a bottle and a cat.
• Black Cup with Apple Lid$25 · 13.5 fl ozA tall glossy black cup with a deep red apple sitting on top as its lid.
• Gourd Fruit Mug$25 · 14.2 fl ozA mug in two stacked bulbs, pink and pale blue, with a handle made of beads. It holds about 14 fl oz.

When to choose something else. If your group's limit is $20, these are over it. Shipping is $17.95 on orders under $89, so buying for two exchanges at once costs less.

What should I bring as a hostess gift for Thanksgiving dinner?

Bring something for the coffee and pie at the end of the meal, and tell the hosts it is for them to keep. A bottle of wine is usually opened that night, while a milk pitcher or a pair of cups stays in their kitchen.

For Thanksgiving, order by November 6 to have it in time.

• Milk and Coffee$74 · 2 piecesA white folded-paper porcelain pitcher for the cream and the short cup that goes with it, matte on the outside.
• Orchard for Two$77 · 2 piecesTwo apple cups and saucers for the hosts' own coffee the next morning, one painted red, one raised in green.
• Apple Paper CupsFrom $25 · 11.8 fl ozCups shaped like crumpled paper cups and printed with apples, two or all four, each in its own color box.

When to choose something else. If you fly in the day before, have it delivered to your home first. Our cups take 10 to 20 days to arrive.

Romantic but useful Valentine's Day gift

Two cups, one for each of you, for the mornings you have coffee together.

For Valentine's Day, order by January 25 to have it in time.

• Garden Relief Cup and Saucer, Heart$59 · 8.5 fl ozA speckled cup and saucer with a raised red heart painted by hand.
• Apple Lid Mugs for Two$56 · 2 piecesTwo apple lid mugs, one with a girl and one with a carousel, each in its own gift box.
• Two Painted Cats$150 · 2 piecesTwo cats painted freehand.

When to choose something else. If Valentine's Day is less than three weeks away, these will not arrive in time.

Galentine's Day or best friend gift: something cute you can both have

Buy two of the same cup and keep one for yourself, so each of you has it in your own kitchen.

For Valentine's Day, order by January 25 to have it in time.

• Butterfly Pair$48 · 2 piecesThe crumpled butterfly mug in both finishes, milky white and dark silver, one for each of you.
• Apple Lid Mugs for Two$56 · 2 piecesTwo cream mugs with glossy red apple lids, one printed with a girl among apples and one with a girl on a carousel.
• Strawberry Relief Cup$49 · 7.1 fl ozOne cup with raised strawberries painted by hand, for the friend who puts strawberries on everything.

When to choose something else. The dark silver butterfly mug has metal in its glaze and cannot go in the microwave.

Easter basket ideas for adults that are not candy

Put in a small cup with a chick or a lamb on it. It fits among the eggs, and they can use it long after Easter.

For Easter, order by March 8 to have it in time.

• Pinched Chick CupFrom $50 · 7.4 fl ozA cup pinched by hand from speckled clay with a chick painted on the front, alone or with a little clay tile.
• Lamb Cup and Saucer$38 · 10.1 fl ozA faceted coffee cup glazed caramel over near-black, with a white lamb on the cup and a smaller one on the saucer.
• Two Chicks$100 · 2 piecesBoth chicks, the yellow one and the plump orange one, for two baskets.

When to choose something else. The chick cups have fine crackle and small marks in the surface by design. If you want something smooth, choose the lamb.

What can I buy my girlfriend to celebrate her promotion?

A cup for her new desk with something playful about it. She will use it most working days, and a cup that spins or has a cat drawn on it looks like a present.

• Spinning Painted Cup$110 · 10.1 fl ozIt sits on a ceramic bearing and turns when she pushes it. The birds or horses are painted one step apart, like frames of a film, and move on screen when she films it spinning on her phone.
• Brush-Painted Cat Cup$75 · 8.5 fl ozA cat drawn freehand in fine line on speckled white. The line differs on every cup.
• Strawberry Relief Cup$49 · 7.1 fl ozRaised strawberries painted by hand, with the maker's mark on the base. One of our best sellers.

When to choose something else. If she drinks a large coffee all day, look at the mugs. These cups hold 7 to 10 fl oz.

Housewarming or wedding gift for a couple who has everything

A pair of cups that go together without being identical, one for each of them. A hand-painted pair is unlikely to be in their cupboard already.

• Two Painted Cats$150 · 2 piecesTwo cat cups painted freehand: one cat looks over a wall of pink flowers, the other sits in tall wildflowers.
• Orchard for Two$77 · 2 piecesTwo apple cups with saucers. One is painted in red; the other has green apples raised from the clay.
• Folded Coffee Service$109 · 3 piecesTwo porcelain cups folded like paper coffee cups, and the milk pitcher that goes with them. Plain white.
• Bakery Cats for Two$126 · 2 piecesA cat cup and a loaf cup, each with its saucer and a baguette-shaped spoon, painted by hand.

When to choose something else. If they registered for a matching set of six, look at the Crumpled Cup Set with Stand. Our painted pieces vary from cup to cup and will not match a registry set.

Anniversary gift for parents who drink tea together every day

A teapot with two cups, one for each of them.

• Crane Tea for Two$69 · 3 piecesThe crane teapot and its two flower-rimmed cups, speckled green with silver cranes laid on by hand.
• Orchard for Two$77 · 2 piecesTwo apple cups and saucers, one painted with red apples and one with green apples raised from the clay.

When to choose something else. The crane teapot holds 115 ml, which fills both cups once. For parents who brew a big pot, look for a larger teapot.

Traditional 9th or 20th anniversary gift: pottery or china

On the classic list the ninth anniversary is pottery and the twentieth is china, which means porcelain. Give two cups, one for each of you.

• Ladder Cat and Boxing Cat$116 · 2 piecesFor the ninth: two mugs of dark clay with cats modeled on them and painted by hand.
• Folded Coffee Service$109 · 3 piecesFor the twentieth: white porcelain folded like crumpled paper cups, matte on the outside.
• Birds and Horses$220 · 2 piecesFor the twentieth: two porcelain cups painted by hand, one with birds and one with horses.

Retirement gift for a coworker who drinks tea

Give a small set for brewing loose-leaf tea at home. Making tea in a little pot or a lidded bowl takes a few minutes, which suits someone who no longer has to rush in the morning.

• Gaiwan Tea for One$58 · 2 piecesA lidded tea bowl and one small cup, painted by hand with red lychees, for one person brewing loose leaves.
• Crane Tea Service$94 · 4 piecesTeapot, two cups and a tea jar in speckled green with silver cranes, if the office is chipping in together.

When to choose something else. If they drink tea from bags in a big mug, a small pot will go unused. One of our larger mugs suits them better.

What is a good gift for a Chinese client or business partner?

Give a well-made piece that is not too expensive, wrapped in red or gold, and hand it over with both hands at the end of the meeting or meal. A pair suits the saying that good things come in pairs.

• Birds and Horses$220 · 2 piecesTwo porcelain cups painted by hand, one with flying birds and one with galloping horses, for an important client.
• Bamboo and Orchid Square Cups$35 · 2.7 fl ozTwo square cups, blue bamboo and pink orchid, in one gift box with a paper bag.
• Crane Tea for Two$69 · 3 piecesA small teapot and two cups with silver cranes laid on by hand. Cranes stand for long life, which suits an older client.

When to choose something else. Never give a set of four, since four sounds like the word for death, and do not wrap in white or black. If you are flying to China to meet them, bring something from your own city instead.

What should I bring when meeting my partner's Chinese parents for the first time?

Bring something both parents can use at home, and ask your partner beforehand what they drink. For parents who drink tea, a small teapot with two cups is a safe choice, and a box of good fruit alongside it is traditional.

• Crane Tea for Two$69 · 3 piecesA teapot and two cups in speckled green with silver cranes, which stand for long life.
• Lychee Tea Set$105 · 4 piecesA lidded tea bowl and three small cups, each painted by hand with red lychees.
• Orchard for Two$77 · 2 piecesTwo apple cups with saucers for parents who drink coffee. In Chinese, the word for apple begins with the sound of the word for peace.

When to choose something else. Avoid clocks and anything in fours. Your partner knows the family best, so check the choice with them.

Lunar New Year gift for a Chinese friend, client or teacher

Give a pair of cups or a small tea set, wrapped in red or gold. Red is the lucky color of the holiday, and pairs are lucky too.

For Lunar New Year, order by January 17 to have it in time.

• Apple Lid Mugs for Two$56 · 2 piecesTwo cream mugs with glossy red apple lids, each in a red checked gift box.
• Crane Tea for Two$69 · 3 piecesA teapot and two cups with silver cranes, for someone who drinks tea.
• Bamboo and Orchid Square Cups$35 · 2.7 fl ozTwo small square cups in one gift box, painted with bamboo and an orchid.

When to choose something else. Order at least three weeks before the holiday, and avoid any set of four.