London design studio Native & Co has used five different clays to design a set of tableware that's matched to specific oolong teas.
The Wu collection includes five tea sets, originally made for an exhibition during London Craft Week. It was created after Native & Co was approached by Taiwan's ministry of culture to create a contemporary take on traditional tea drinking.

The studio designed a tea experience that would showcase the varieties of oolong ? which Taiwan is particularly known for ? by pairing five clays with five different leaves. Tea is typically brewed in small, unglazed teapots that improve the drink's flavour over time as the porous clay becomes seasoned by the tea.
"On a microscopic level, the clay's surface is rough and uneven, trapping pockets of air and tea within it," explained Native & Co's Chris Yoshiro Green. "This creates a more rounded and layered taste profile." "Each clay varies in its texture, and porosity levels vary the flavours further."

The studio experimented with different clays as well as water mineral content, the teapot's shape, and brewing time and temperatures to create matches for the five different teas. Once paired, each teapot was "seasoned" to ensure consistent brews.
Native & Co chose clays that would especially complement the aromas and flavours of each oolong, using them to create ultra-minimal teapots and cups that still retained a "Taiwanese air".

Light cla...