Hand-Painted Lotus Bat Trang Tea Mug with Infuser & Lid

A tall, hand-painted ceramic tea mug from Bat Trang, Vietnam, with "Bat Trang Vietnam" stamped on the base. Big red lotus blooms and buds float on a sunny yellow ground among soft green leaves, all outlined in fine blue brushwork. A little blue swirl decorates the handle. It comes as a three-piece set: the mug, a matching painted lid, and a ceramic infuser with drainage holes that sits inside, so you can steep loose-leaf tea right in your cup and keep it warm while it brews.

The lotus is Vietnam's national flower and a symbol of purity, commitment and optimism. It grows from muddy pond water yet blooms spotless, and water simply rolls off its petals. That's why it turns up so often in Vietnamese folk songs, poems and Buddhist art, and it's still a favourite motif for the potters of Bat Trang.