“Where silence holds wisdom, and the unseen nourishes all things.”

隐土 (Yin Tu) means “Hidden Earth”, evoking something ancient, secret, and deeply rooted—like the unseen forces shaping life. In Daoist thought, what is hidden is often more powerful than what is seen; true transformation happens quietly, like mountains rising over time or tea leaves releasing their essence in hot water. 隐 (Yin) signifies the hidden, mysterious, and subtle—representing stillness, retreat, and deep wisdom. 土 (Tu) means earth, soil, and ground—the stabilizing force that nourishes and transforms all life. Together, Yin Tu embodies the quiet power of nature and the slow, unseen shifts that shape existence.

In Daoist internal alchemy, Earth represents refinement. Just as minerals in soil slowly become gemstones, tea practice and meditation refine energy over time. Yin Tu embodies this slow, hidden transformation—mirroring how tea subtly shifts one’s presence and awareness.

Tea’s energy (cha qi) is often felt rather than tasted—subtle yet profound, revealing itself slowly with presence and attention. Similarly, a chabu (tea cloth), dyed with natural elements, carries the essence of the land, minerals, and time. Just like tea leaves, it holds the quiet history of the earth, embodying a connection to nature that is both tangible and unseen, inviting stillness and depth into the tea practice.

The Cloth & Process

Each Yin Tu chabu is crafted from old handwoven cloth sourced from Ukraine—textiles with a history, woven by hands long before modern industry. These fabrics, once part of everyday life, now find new purpose in tea practice.

The transformation process follows traditional natural dyeing methods, using only elements from the earth—plants, minerals, and time. No petrochemicals, no modern interventions—just the slow alchemy of nature. The result is a cloth that is alive, evolving, and infused with the essence of the land. Only 4 of this kind were created.

A chabu is not just a textile—it is a quiet presence on the tea table, grounding each moment in something deeper, something unseen yet always felt.

33 × 127 cm

13 × 50 in