An overhead view of herbal tea and jasmine flowers in a Source cup on a wooden table.

Pieces & uses · OrienX Journal

Set down, pick up, refill: drinking at your own pace with Source

The handleless Source cup gives water or tea a place at the table; its 180 ml capacity is a vessel measurement, not a hydration target.

The cup sits beside the plate. You pick it up when you want a drink, then choose whether to refill it. Source makes that ordinary gesture easy to repeat, provided you check its temperature before holding it with a hot drink inside.

What the older text says

The food chapter of Laolao Hengyan also discusses thirst and drinking. These observations belong to a Qing-period Chinese work about care in old age and its historical view of the body. They set neither a daily water amount nor a rule for everyone today. OrienX takes only the everyday attention to one’s own needs.

What a handleless cup does

Source · Cup is about 8 cm across the opening, 6.6 to 6.8 cm high and holds 180 ml. Without a handle, it can be held around the body with both hands. With a hot drink, touch the outside cautiously first and wait until it is comfortable to hold. Its small size fits beside a place setting and can be refilled as desired.

An overhead view of herbal tea and jasmine flowers in a Source cup on a wooden table.
An overhead view of herbal tea and jasmine flowers in a Source cup on a wooden table.

Keep the choice personal

At a meal of grains, vegetables and legumes, give the cup a place that does not obstruct serving. Water or tea can accompany the meal according to personal habits. There is no need to fill or empty it to satisfy a rule implied by its size. The vessel gives the drink a place; how much to have depends on the person and their circumstances.

Explore Source · Cup · Read the cultural source in Laolao Hengyan

Back to the shared dish: Tablée

Source: Laolao Hengyan (also Yangsheng Suibi), book I, “Food”. Its older ideas about drinking are cultural context; 180 ml is the cup’s capacity, not hydration advice. Original text.

The piece in this story

Discover the ten Terre Calme pieces
Source · Handleless Cup

Ø 8 × 6,6–6,8 cm · 180 ml

Source · Handleless Cup

A handleless cup gives a drink its place; check its temperature before holding a hot drink.