[4] Gaiwans made from Yixing clay or jade are particularly prized by collectors of tea paraphernalia.

[5] A recently excavated Ming princely burial has yielded the first example to survive until modern times of a type of gaiwan set known from 15th-century paintings.

There is a blue and white Jingdezhen porcelain stem cup, that has a silver stand and a gold cover (this dated 1437), all decorated with dragons.

Presumably many such sets existed, but recycling the precious metal elements was too tempting at some point, leaving only the porcelain cups.

Gaiwans are less suitable for black teas as the large lid allows heat to escape too quickly during the steeping process.