Handmade Urushi Lacquer Leather Travel Gongfu Tea Set – Wood Fired Hand Pinched Zisha Teapot | MoriMa Tea

Some people carry a tea bag. You carry a small ceremony.

This is not a mass-produced travel mug set. It is a compact, handcrafted gongfu tea kit built for slow moments outdoors—trailhead sunrises, campsite afternoons, vanlife mornings, rooftop picnics, office tea breaks, or anywhere you want real tea without a full tea table. The set pairs a genuine wood-fired, hand-pinched zisha teapot with a protective leather travel case, and it is available in two case finishes: natural cowhide leather and rare natural urushi lacquered cowhide.

Let’s be honest: most travel tea sets are either too fragile to leave the kitchen or too clunky to enjoy. This one was designed to be packed, opened, used, and packed again—without feeling like a compromise.

Choose Your Style

There are four configurations. The teapot, case, and mat change by style. Every set includes the full tea tool lineup.

Style 1 – Raw Zisha + Cowhide Leather Case
1 hand-pinched wood-fired raw ore zisha teapot
1 handmade cowhide leather tea case with carry cord
1 botanical-dyed tea mat

Style 2 – Double Silver-Wrapped Teapot + Cowhide Leather Case
1 hand-pinched wood-fired zisha teapot with silver-wrapped spout and rim
1 handmade cowhide leather tea case with carry cord
1 persimmon-dyed tea mat

Style 3 – Raw Zisha + Urushi Lacquered Leather Case
1 hand-pinched wood-fired raw ore zisha teapot
1 handmade natural urushi lacquered cowhide tea case with carry cord
1 botanical-dyed tea mat

Style 4 – Double Silver-Wrapped Teapot + Urushi Lacquered Leather Case
1 hand-pinched wood-fired zisha teapot with silver-wrapped spout and rim
1 handmade natural urushi lacquered cowhide tea case with carry cord
1 botanical-dyed tea mat

Every set also includes the same core pieces:

• 1 handmade fairness pitcher / gongdao bei

• 3 Puyu Ruoshen tasting cups

• 1 handmade aged iron tea scissors set with protective sheath

• 1 tin lid rest

• 3 flower-shaped cup separators

What’s Inside This Portable Tea Ceremony Kit

This is a full gongfu setup in a box small enough for a daypack, tote, glovebox, or carry-on spinner.

The Teapot: Hand-Pinched, Wood-Fired, Raw Ore Zisha
The teapot is not slip-cast or mold-made. Each one starts as a lump of raw ore zisha clay. The potter pinches the body, shapes the spout, trims the lid seat, and adjusts the pour by hand. That means each pot has slightly different proportions, tool marks, and kiln character. It is fired unglazed in a wood kiln at high temperature, so wood ash lands naturally on the surface and melts into random fire marks, blush tones, carbon flashes, and tiny ash deposits. No two pots look the same.

The clay is real raw ore zisha—no chemical additives, no blended industrial clay. It is porous enough to breathe, so the tea does not stew into bitterness. Over time, with regular use, the unglazed surface slowly seasons and develops a soft, deeper sheen.

The optional double silver-wrapped version adds hand-applied silver to the two most fragile areas: the spout and the rim. It is not silver paint or plating over plastic. The silver wrap protects the edge and gives a quiet contrast against the rough, wood-fired clay.

The Fairness Pitcher
The fairness pitcher is sized to the pot, not oversized. You can decant the whole infusion at once so the tea does not oversteep while you pass the cups. The spout pours clean and does not send tea running down the side.

The Tasting Cups
Three Puyu Ruoshen cups sit in the case. They are thin-walled and smooth-lipped, made for small sips that carry more aroma and texture than big mugs. Warm them with hot water before brewing and the tea opens up quickly.

The Tools
A hand-forged aged iron tea scissors set is useful for cutting compressed tea, opening sample pouches, or trimming cord. A tin lid rest gives the teapot lid a clean place to sit mid-session. A botanical-dyed or persimmon-dyed tea mat protects the surface underneath, and three flower-shaped cup separators keep the cups from knocking against each other in transit.

The Case: Natural Urushi Lacquered Cowhide vs. Natural Cowhide

The standard case is handcrafted from natural cowhide leather. It is simple, durable, and ages with use.

The urushi version is different. Raw leather is skin—it absorbs moisture, oils, tea spills, and slowly breaks down. Natural urushi changes that. Urushi is tapped from the lacquer tree, filtered, and applied in nearly 20 thin layers. Each layer must cure slowly under controlled humidity before the next can be applied. This is not a spray-on polyurethane, not acrylic, not resin. It is the same natural lacquer tradition used in East Asian lacquerware for centuries.

The finish hardens into a deep, warm surface that resists water, tea stains, and the slow rot that ruins ordinary leather. It is not a flat plastic shine. It has depth, slight brush texture, and a glow that changes depending on the light. The case still feels like leather, but it is sealed and protected in a way raw hide never is.

We work with natural lacquer as a functional finish, not just decoration. The idea is simple: use natural materials, let them behave naturally, and make something that lasts.

How the Packing Works

The storage design is intentionally compact. The three cups nest inside the fairness pitcher. The flower-shaped separators go between the cups to stop them from rubbing. The teapot sits beside the pitcher, cushioned by the tea mat or the soft interior shape of the case. The scissors, lid rest, and other small tools fill the remaining gaps. Close the lid, pull the carry cord, and the whole kit stays snug.

There is usually a little extra room left for one or two sessions’ worth of loose leaf tea in a small pouch. You will not fit a full tea cake, but you can absolutely bring enough for a short trip.

Materials & Dimensions

Teapot material: raw ore zisha clay, unglazed, wood-fired
Teapot options: standard spout or double silver-wrapped spout and rim
Case material: natural cowhide leather or natural urushi lacquered cowhide
Cups: Puyu Ruoshen tasting cups, 3 pieces
Other materials: aged iron, tin, botanical-dyed or persimmon-dyed fabric, natural lacquer

Outer case dimensions: 15.5 cm L × 11.0 cm W × 9.0 cm H
(approx. 6.1 in × 4.3 in × 3.5 in)

Inner compartment dimensions: 14.5 cm L × 9.0 cm W × 7.5 cm H
(approx. 5.7 in × 3.5 in × 2.9 in)

The whole set is compact enough for a small backpack or a carry-on bag. The teapot and cups are ceramic/stoneware, so pack it like you would pack any handmade teaware—snug, not loose.