Meet the Chinese ancestors of the tea saucer. Long before the Europeans made the cup-and-saucer a tableware staple, Chinese tea drinkers were using zhan tuo, or cup stands for handleless tea bowls.

These ones are from the Song Dynasty (960–1279), when tea was more than just a beverage. It was a ritual, a performance and a presentation, where the utensils mattered as much as the taste.

A cup stand kept the bowl steady and kept the holder from burning their hand. It also made sipping tea look and feel elegant. In Song China, tea lovers cared about the whole experience, including the cup it came in. These stands remind us that even the smallest household item can become a work of art.