Questions before you order

Is underglaze or overglaze safer for a cup I drink from every day?

Underglaze. Paint under the glaze is sealed beneath a layer of glass. Overglaze color sits on top of the glaze and is fired cooler, below about 900 °C, so it wears faster. Studies that compare the two find more lead and cadmium coming out of overglaze decoration, most of all on a decorated rim and with acidic drinks.

• The same US limit applies to every cup, however it is decorated: the FDA allows at most 0.5 micrograms of lead per milliliter in its acid test for cups and mugs.
• A 2025 study of mugs found far more lead and cadmium coming from the outside of the lip than from the inside, highest where the rim was decorated over the glaze.
• Ours: 13 pieces are hand-painted under the glaze and 7 more are decorated or colored under it, as their makers say. 5 have decals the maker says are fired at high temperature, which could mean in the glaze or on it. 2 are printed, with no method given. The silver cranes on the Crane Tea Ware are laid on over the glaze, on the outside.

When it fits. For a cup you drink from every day, choose one marked under the glaze, and look for one with a plain rim.

When to choose something else. We have not had our pieces lab-tested, so we do not call any of them lead-free.

Do hand painted ceramic mugs have lead in the glaze?

Some do, and you cannot tell by looking. US rules allow only a trace to come out of a cup in an acid test: 0.5 milligrams of lead per liter under the FDA guide. We have not had our pieces tested ourselves, so we do not call any of them lead-free.

• The FDA treats a "lead free" label as misleading on any piece that shows lead in its test, even one glazed without lead.
• Where a maker says something about its glaze, the product page repeats it as the maker's word. The maker of the Apple Lid Mug shows a food-contact test report for its decoration.
• To lower the risk with any decorated cup, choose decoration under the glaze, avoid cups painted on the lip, and do not keep acidic drinks such as juice standing in them.
• The FDA's list of higher-risk pottery includes antique pieces, damaged or worn pieces, and bright orange, red or yellow decoration.

When to choose something else. If you need a cup with a lab report for that exact piece, for a small child for example, buy one sold with its report.

Can you put hand painted ceramic cups in the microwave and dishwasher?

Most glazed cups can go in the microwave, but never a piece with metal on it: silver or gold decoration, metal charms or a metal spoon. Many makers say their cups are dishwasher safe, and we still wash painted cups by hand.

• Keep these out of the microwave: the Crane Tea Ware (silver cranes), the Spinning Painted Cup (metal charms), the Crumpled Butterfly Mug in Dark Silver, and the spoon of the Polka Apple Breakfast Set, which has a metal bowl.
• Silver and gold sit on top of the glaze and wear down in a dishwasher, makers of fine china say.
• Water soaked into a crack in the glaze or a bare clay base turns to steam in a microwave and can crack the cup.
• Each product page repeats what its maker says about the microwave and the dishwasher.

When to choose something else. If everything you own goes in the dishwasher, choose a piece whose page says the maker calls it dishwasher safe and that has no metal on it.

Is there a mug with a lid to keep cat hair and dust out of my coffee?

Yes. Our Apple Lid Mugs and the Black Cup with Apple Lid each have a ceramic apple that sits in the rim and keeps hair and dust out between sips. The lid is not sealed, so it keeps out dust but does not stop spills.

• About 53 million American households have a cat, according to the American Pet Products Association's 2025 survey.
• The lid lifts straight off and stands on the table by itself while you drink.
• The mugs hold 13.5 to 14.2 fl oz.

When it fits. For a desk where a cat walks past, or a kitchen with an open window.

When to choose something else. If you need a lid that seals for carrying coffee, choose a travel mug.

How do I know if a ceramic cup is really hand painted or just a printed decal?

Look at two cups of the same design. A brushed line thickens and thins, and two painted cups never match exactly. A decal is identical on every piece and has a crisp, even edge. On each of our product pages, the material line says which method the maker used.

• Hand-painted under the glaze, the maker says: 13 of our 36 pieces, including every cat cup, the strawberry cups, the lychee tea ware and the flower-rim cups. 7 more are decorated or colored under the glaze.
• Hand-painted, with no word on whether under or over the glaze: the Apple-on-the-Rim Cup, the Apple Cup with Glass Straw and the Pinched Chick Cup.
• Painted, method not given: the Striped Puppy Cup and Plate.
• Decals fired on: the Apple Paper Cups, both Apple Lid Mugs and the Polka Apple Breakfast Set. The Crumpled Butterfly Mug has a fired-on decoration.
• Printed, method not given: the It's Apple Cup and the Pine Forest Tableware.
• Not painted: the plain glazed and folded pieces, such as the Folded-Paper Porcelain and the Wild Frost cup.

When it fits. If you want a piece no one else has, choose a hand-painted one. Yours will differ a little from the photo and from every other cup.

When to choose something else. If you need six identical cups, a decal or plain-glaze piece will match more closely.

How can I tell if a ceramic mug is really handmade or made in a factory mold?

Look for small differences: a rim that wavers, a pinch where fingers pressed, a handle set a little differently on each one. A cup poured into a mold comes out the same every time. Many handmade cups start in a mold and are then finished and painted by hand, so it is worth asking which steps were done by hand.

• Shaped by hand, the makers say: the Pinched Chick Cup is pinched by hand, the folds of the Square Flower-Rim Cup are finished by hand, and the Folded-Paper Porcelain is ground by hand before firing and polished by hand after.
• The makers of the Crumpled Butterfly Mug and the Crumpled Cup Set call them handmade, so the dents differ from cup to cup.
• Where a maker does not say how a cup was shaped, we do not say either. The product page tells you what the maker states about painting and finishing.

When it fits. If you want a cup that is visibly one of a kind, choose one shaped by hand as well as painted.

When to choose something else. If you need cups that stack neatly and match exactly, molded pieces will suit you better.

What happens if my ceramic order arrives broken?

We replace or refund the broken piece, whichever you prefer, and you do not send anything back. Email a photo of the piece and the box within 14 days of delivery.

• Damaged or wrong piece: a photo within 14 days of delivery; replacement or refund of that piece.
• Lost parcel: if it has not arrived 40 days after it shipped, we send it again or refund it.
• Change of mind: no returns, because each order is packed for you by hand. Every page lists the size so you can check first.

When to choose something else. If you want to try a cup and send it back if you do not like it, a shop with free returns will suit you better.

How long does it take for a ceramic order to arrive?

About 10 to 20 days from order to door with us, tracked the whole way: a few days to prepare, then the flight and delivery. Each product page shows its own dates.

• Shipping is free on orders of $89 or more, $17.95 below that.
• Alaska and Hawaii: about 2 to 4 weeks, $19.95, free from $149.
• We email the tracking number when the parcel leaves, and we write if it is running late.

When it fits. For a birthday or holiday, order at least three weeks ahead.

When to choose something else. If you need it within a week, we cannot get it to you in time.

Will I have to pay customs or import duty on my order?

No. For US orders the import duty is already in our price, and there is nothing more to pay on delivery. Any sales tax is shown at checkout.

• Prices and checkout are in US dollars.

Do you ship outside the United States?

Not yet. We ship to addresses in the US, including Alaska and Hawaii.

Who makes Ondo Studio's cups, and are they handmade?

Small studios and independent ceramic artists; we choose each piece from their work. Many of our pieces are shaped and painted by hand, one at a time, so no two are quite alike; a few carry a fired-on print, and each page says how its piece was made.

• We see a great many pieces and keep only the few we would reach for every morning ourselves.
• Painted by hand under the glaze: the bakery cat cups and bakery pieces, the cat relief mug, the flower-rim cups, the patchwork hand cups, the strawberry cups, the spinning cups and the cat tea house cup.
• Shaped by hand: the folded-paper porcelain is ground and polished by hand, and the crane tea ware is trimmed by hand before firing.

When to choose something else. If you want a signed piece from one named potter, look for that potter's own studio shop.

Is Ondo Studio (ondostudio.shop) a real shop, and is it the ONDO STUDIO in Seoul?

Yes, it is a real shop, and no, it is a different one. Ondo Studio at ondostudio.shop is a Los Angeles shop of painted and hand-shaped cups, mugs and tea sets, and a brand of FreeTitle, Inc. It is not related to ONDO STUDIO, the ceramics studio in Seoul, or to Ondou Studio.

• You pay through Shopify's secure checkout, with Shop Pay, PayPal, Apple Pay or Google Pay, and we never see your card number.
• Shipping is free in the US from $89, and the import duty is already in the price.
• A piece that arrives broken is replaced or refunded from a photo, with nothing to send back.
• Write to support@ondostudio.shop and we reply within two business days.

What do kohiki, buncheong, yohen and mentori mean on a ceramic cup?

They are Japanese and Korean potters' names for old hand methods. Kohiki is a coat of white slip under the glaze, Japan's take on the white-slipped buncheong ware of Korea; yohen is a color change made by the kiln's own fire; mentori is cutting flat facets into the wall by hand.

• Kohiki (粉引): the piece is dipped in white slip before glazing, which gives a soft, milky ground. Our Brush-Painted Cat Cup has a white slip coat.
• Buncheong (분청): Korean stoneware coated in white slip and decorated by inlay, stamping, incising, brushing or dipping. The art historian Ko Yu-seop gave it the name in the early twentieth century.
• Yohen (窯変, kiln change): the flame and the minerals in the clay and glaze shift the color during firing, so no two pieces match. Our Speckled Cup and Saucer with Raised Painted Motifs has a kiln-change glaze.
• Mentori (面取り): flat planes cut into a thrown form while the clay is still soft. Our Lamb Cup and Saucer has facets cut by hand.
• Tebineri (手捻り) is shaping by pinching, as on our cups with a petal rim pinched by hand.

Is a $50 to $100 handmade ceramic cup actually worth it?

Yes, if you will use it every day. Part of the price is a painter's time on that one cup, and a $60 cup used every morning for a year works out to about 16 cents a day. If it would sit in a cupboard, it is not worth it.

• Pieces lost in the kiln are part of the cost of a hand-painted cup.
• Our pieces run from $30 to $186. A set costs at least 10 percent less than its pieces bought one by one.

When to choose something else. If you break cups often or put everything in the dishwasher, a sturdy plain mug is the better buy.

How many ounces does a small gongfu teacup hold?

Usually 1 to 3 fl oz. A gongfu tasting cup is made for a few sips, poured again and again, not for one large serving. Our tea cups hold about 1.7 to 2.7 fl oz (50 to 80 ml), our everyday cups 7 to 10 fl oz, and our largest mug 16.9 fl oz.

• Lychee and crane tea cups: about 1.7 to 2.7 fl oz (50 to 80 ml).
• Crane teapot: 115 ml (3.9 fl oz), which fills two of its cups once.
• Most painted cups: 8.5 fl oz (250 ml). Large mugs: 13.5 to 16.9 fl oz (400 to 500 ml).
• Each page shows the size beside a 12 oz mug drawn to scale.

When to choose something else. If you drink a 20 oz coffee, none of our cups is that large.

What size cup do I need for a latte, cappuccino or flat white, in ounces?

A flat white or a cappuccino fits a 5 to 6 fl oz cup, a latte an 8 to 12 fl oz cup, and an espresso a 2 to 3 fl oz cup. Most of our painted cups hold 8.5 fl oz, the size of a Starbucks Short, and our mugs hold 13.5 to 16.9 fl oz, between a Tall and a Grande.

• Starbucks sizes for hot drinks: Short 8 fl oz, Tall 12, Grande 16, Venti 20.
• Espresso: the Square Flower-Rim Cup and the lychee cups, 1.7 to 2.7 fl oz.
• Flat white or cappuccino: the Crumpled Cup Set's six cups at 5 fl oz, and the Folded-Paper cups at 5.7 to 6.4 fl oz.
• Latte or a regular coffee: most painted cups at 8.5 fl oz; the Wild Frost cup at 10.8 fl oz; the Spinning Painted Cup and the Lamb Cup at 10.1 fl oz.
• A big morning mug: the Apple Lid Mugs, the Black Cup with Apple Lid and the Gourd Fruit Mug at 13.5 to 14.2 fl oz, and the Pine Forest mug at 16.9 fl oz.
• Each product page shows the cup beside a 12 oz mug drawn to scale.

When it fits. Choose a cup a little larger than the drink, so there is room at the top for the milk foam.

When to choose something else. If you drink a Venti every morning, none of our cups holds 20 fl oz.

What cups do I need for a coffee bar at home?

You need small cups for espresso, cups of about 5 to 8 fl oz for cappuccinos and flat whites, a milk pitcher if you steam milk, and one big mug for slow mornings. Seven in ten American coffee drinkers now make their coffee only at home, the National Coffee Association found in 2025.

• Espresso: the Square Flower-Rim Cup at 2.7 fl oz.
• Cappuccino or flat white: the Crumpled Cup Set with Stand, six 5 fl oz cups with saucers on an iron stand, or the Folded-Paper cups at 5.7 to 6.4 fl oz.
• Milk: the Folded-Paper milk pitcher, which has a pointed spout.
• A big mug: the Apple Lid Mugs or the Black Cup with Apple Lid at 13.5 to 14.2 fl oz.

When it fits. A cup stand or a row of hooks keeps the cups out where you make the coffee.

What cup should I use for a matcha latte?

Any cup of 8 to 12 fl oz works for a hot matcha latte, and a white inside shows off the green. We do not sell a matcha bowl or a bamboo whisk, so whisk the matcha in a bowl you have and pour it into the cup.

• Iced matcha: the Apple Cup with Glass Straw holds about 10.8 fl oz and comes with a glass straw.
• Hot matcha latte: most of our painted cups hold 8.5 fl oz, and the Wild Frost cup holds 10.8 fl oz.

When to choose something else. If you want a traditional matcha bowl (chawan), buy it from a shop that sells Japanese tea ware.

Is a small 100 to 150 ml teapot too small for one person?

No, it is the right size for one or two, as long as you steep the leaves several times. Small pots are made for gongfu brewing: many short infusions of the same leaves, each poured into small cups.

• Our crane teapot holds 115 ml and fills two of its cups once.

When to choose something else. If you brew one large pot with a tea bag, choose a bigger Western teapot.

What is the difference between porcelain, stoneware and ceramic?

All three are ceramic: clay shaped and fired hard. Porcelain is fired hottest and comes out white, dense and sometimes see-through at the edges. Stoneware is fired a little cooler, usually stays speckled or tinted, and feels heavier and earthier in the hand.

• Porcelain soaks up almost no water, about 0 to 1 percent of its weight, and stoneware about 2 to 3 percent, studio tests show. Earthenware, fired coolest, takes up 8 percent or more.
• Britannica gives porcelain's firing range as about 2,000 to 2,650 °F (1,100 to 1,450 °C).
• Once glazed, all three hold a drink the same way. The difference is in weight, color and how thin the walls can be.
• Ours in porcelain: the Folded-Paper Porcelain, the Lychee Tea Ware and the Pine Forest Tableware. Crane Tea Ware is kaolin, the main clay in porcelain. In stoneware: the Speckled Cup and Saucer with Raised Painted Motifs and the Speckled Apple Cup. The rest are listed as ceramic, as their makers describe them.

When it fits. Choose porcelain for a thin rim and a bright white inside where you can see the color of the tea, and stoneware for a heavier cup that feels handmade.

Do Ondo Studio cups come in a gift box?

Some do. The Apple Lid Mugs, the Apple Cup with Glass Straw, the Striped Puppy Cup and Plate, the Square Flower-Rim Cup and the pair of crane cups come in the maker's gift box. The Apple Paper Cups come in a color box and the It's Apple Cup in a kraft box. The rest come without one.

When to choose something else. If you want it wrapped and sent straight to the person, have it sent to you first and wrap it yourself.

How do you wash and care for hand painted ceramics?

Wash by hand with warm water and a soft sponge, and avoid sudden changes of temperature, such as boiling water poured into a cold cup. Paint under the glaze does not wash off, because the glaze covers it, but a cup washed by hand keeps its shine longer.

• Wash pieces with metal on them by hand: the spinning cups' charms, the crane tea ware's silver and spoons with metal bowls.

Can I pour boiling water into a porcelain teacup or teapot?

Yes. Porcelain is fired far hotter than boiling water, and tea is often made with water at or near a boil. What cracks a cup is a sudden jump, such as boiling water into a cup straight from a cold windowsill, so rinse it with hot tap water first.

• Green and white teas taste better a little below boiling, around 175 to 185 °F, and black and oolong teas near a full boil.
• Warming the teapot or gaiwan with hot water first also keeps the tea hot for longer.

When to choose something else. Do not put a cold cup on a hot stove or under a broiler. Use the oven only for pieces whose maker says they are oven safe.

Do white porcelain teacups stain from black tea?

They can take on a brown film from tea, faster with hard water, but on a glazed cup it sits on the surface and washes off. A paste of baking soda and water on a soft sponge usually lifts it.

• The film is tea compounds and minerals left as the cup dries.
• Unglazed surfaces mark more easily, such as the matte outside of the Folded-Paper Porcelain or a bare clay foot.

Are handmade ceramics better than mugs from Anthropologie or Williams Sonoma?

Better if you want a cup painted by a person, worse if you need it fast or want to return it. A big brand gives you identical pieces, delivery in days and easy returns. Most of our painted cups are each a little different, and you wait 10 to 20 days with no change-of-mind returns.

When to choose something else. If you need it this week, or want a set that matches exactly, a big brand is the better choice.

Will a hand painted cup look exactly like the photo?

Close, but not exactly. A cup painted by hand differs a little from the photo and from every other cup of the same design.

• Colors can also vary a little between screens and batches.

When to choose something else. If an exact match to the picture matters, choose a decal or plain-glaze piece.

Are fine crackle lines in a handmade cup a defect?

On some cups fine crackle is part of the finish, and the maker of our Pinched Chick Cup says its crackle and small hairline marks are not damage. Potters do advise caution where crackle is on the inside of a cup, because dirt and germs can sit in the lines.

• Crackle, which potters call crazing and Japanese potters kannyu (貫入), is a web of very fine cracks in the glaze that forms as the cup cools.
• Digitalfire, a reference for potters, says surfaces that touch food should be free of crazing, and that well-washed personal cups are the least sensitive case.
• Wash a crackled cup in hot soapy water after each use, dry it, and do not leave drinks standing in it overnight.
• A crack you can feel with a fingernail, or one that goes through the wall, is damage. Send us a photo within 14 days of delivery.

When it fits. If you like a cup that looks old and handled, a crackle finish gives that from the first day.

When to choose something else. If you want a smooth glaze with no lines at all, choose a different cup than the Pinched Chick Cup.