Chinese teaware used in tea ceremony – A quick horizontal view of teaware use today group the ussage into two main purposes:
The use of materials such as metal, various clay potteries and glass for brewing tea, drinking tea and storing tea.
The use of materials such as bamboo, wood and stone tools for preparing and presenting a proper tea manner.
Today’s teaware have a linearly historical development along the tea culture throughout Chinese civilization.
Han and Tang
In Han Dynasty (from 202 B.C.), books started to mention the use of teaware. People grinded tea into powder and then mixed with water in bowl. Till the beginning of Tang Dynasty (from 618 A.D.), drinking tea from grinded tea powder was the most popular way. Porcelain teaware were widely popular. Teaware production facilities started. Lu Yu wrote the famous “the Book of Tea” in this period of time.
Song
From Song Dynasty (from 960 A.D.), bigger bowl with glaze coating started getting favored. People name such tea bowl “zhan” that was also introduced to Japan. Today “Jian Zhan” from Fujian province symbols the birth place of Japan’s teaware. Pottery, porcelain, gold and silver materials were also popular to use.
The production facility for making pottery teaware is called “yao”. Many famous production facilities made their names in this period. There are the Five Renown: Guan yao, Ge yao, Ru yao, Ding yao and Jun yao. Other ones like Yue yao and Longquan yao, Jian yao and Tong’an yao, Jizhou yao, are also widely known.
Ming
In Ming Dynasty (from 1368 A.D.), drinking tea powder and mixing in big tea bowl fashion saw significant change to more simplified way. Instead of boiling tea, people started to fancy brewing method. Tea pot and cups made of white porcelains and other potteries got popular. The famous Zisha pot also started in this period.
Qing
In Qing Dynasty (from 1636 A.D.), today’s complete tea culture has been fully cultivated. “Gaiwan” – a set of three pieces bottom tray, bowl and cover became popular. Meanwhile, colored porcelain teaware such as Qinghua and Caihui became popular, too.
The variety of Porcelain tea brewing tools diversifies in aesthetics throughout times. Little changes in glaze recipe, color, shade and pattern can result dramatically after reaction in furnace. Porcelain teaware prefer using thin glaze. By color, there are white, cyan, red and black porcelain. By technique, there are hollow-carved, engraved, embossed, cracked, painted (qinghua and caihui) and the bonechina.
Amongst various porcelain, white porcelain is prominently popular in teaware due to better translucency. Key property of porcelain is better densification. It gives less absorbance and heat conduction. These properties help retain chemical particles in tea soup, reflect the color radiance of tea soup, and temperature. As a base color, white porcelain is more friendly in incorporating other craftmanship such as hollow-carving, embossing, engraving and painting.
It translates to purple sand, represents an unique geographical mark of Yixing which is the birth and main production town of Zisha products in China. Zisha material is intermediate between porcelain and pottery. It has good densification due to the fine pore structure which retains certain breathability whilst catching alkali released during brewing. The particle sized air bubbles hosted in the pores provides natural temperature preservation. Unlike porcelain, Zisha does not have glaze, therefore, it is more elastic in between temperature changes.
There are five main natural colors of Zisha: red, purple, cyanish, black and dark green. Other colors like white, dark grey, yellowish and pine color are also common.
Unlike porcelain and other pottery products that widely use embryo pulling technique. Zisha ware is made by piece forming technique Here is a detailed video of making Zisha pot in our Facebook Page . Pieces of zisha clay are first patted for balanced tenacity, then tailor cut into sheets according to the measurement of main body design. When the parts are ready, they are then ‘assembled’ by applying to a mold. Then a series of refining procedures carry out before putting into furnace.
Tea drinking culture exported to outside of China throughout ancient and modern histories. Some country preserved the old way, such as Japan still favoring the big bowl. Some country intepreted in new way, such as English tea pot and bone china.
When it comes to brewing a perfect pot of loose leaf tea, the right teaware for right tea is a must-know. What teaware for right tea to use? Dao, Fa, Shu, Qi – “道 法 术 器” means philosophy, law, technique and tool that are the four levels of mastering anything man does. Tool for …
The History of Chinese Teaware
Chinese Teaware
Chinese teaware used in tea ceremony – A quick horizontal view of teaware use today group the ussage into two main purposes:
Han and Tang
In Han Dynasty (from 202 B.C.), books started to mention the use of teaware. People grinded tea into powder and then mixed with water in bowl. Till the beginning of Tang Dynasty (from 618 A.D.), drinking tea from grinded tea powder was the most popular way. Porcelain teaware were widely popular. Teaware production facilities started. Lu Yu wrote the famous “the Book of Tea” in this period of time.
Song
From Song Dynasty (from 960 A.D.), bigger bowl with glaze coating started getting favored. People name such tea bowl “zhan” that was also introduced to Japan. Today “Jian Zhan” from Fujian province symbols the birth place of Japan’s teaware. Pottery, porcelain, gold and silver materials were also popular to use.
The production facility for making pottery teaware is called “yao”. Many famous production facilities made their names in this period. There are the Five Renown: Guan yao, Ge yao, Ru yao, Ding yao and Jun yao. Other ones like Yue yao and Longquan yao, Jian yao and Tong’an yao, Jizhou yao, are also widely known.
Ming
In Ming Dynasty (from 1368 A.D.), drinking tea powder and mixing in big tea bowl fashion saw significant change to more simplified way. Instead of boiling tea, people started to fancy brewing method. Tea pot and cups made of white porcelains and other potteries got popular. The famous Zisha pot also started in this period.
Qing
In Qing Dynasty (from 1636 A.D.), today’s complete tea culture has been fully cultivated. “Gaiwan” – a set of three pieces bottom tray, bowl and cover became popular. Meanwhile, colored porcelain teaware such as Qinghua and Caihui became popular, too.
Other Tea Utensils
Sorting tools (“the six gentlemen”):
Serving tools:
Porcelain and Zisha
The variety of Porcelain tea brewing tools diversifies in aesthetics throughout times. Little changes in glaze recipe, color, shade and pattern can result dramatically after reaction in furnace. Porcelain teaware prefer using thin glaze. By color, there are white, cyan, red and black porcelain. By technique, there are hollow-carved, engraved, embossed, cracked, painted (qinghua and caihui) and the bone china.
Amongst various porcelain, white porcelain is prominently popular in teaware due to better translucency. Key property of porcelain is better densification. It gives less absorbance and heat conduction. These properties help retain chemical particles in tea soup, reflect the color radiance of tea soup, and temperature. As a base color, white porcelain is more friendly in incorporating other craftmanship such as hollow-carving, embossing, engraving and painting.
Zisha
It translates to purple sand, represents an unique geographical mark of Yixing which is the birth and main production town of Zisha products in China. Zisha material is intermediate between porcelain and pottery. It has good densification due to the fine pore structure which retains certain breathability whilst catching alkali released during brewing. The particle sized air bubbles hosted in the pores provides natural temperature preservation. Unlike porcelain, Zisha does not have glaze, therefore, it is more elastic in between temperature changes.
There are five main natural colors of Zisha: red, purple, cyanish, black and dark green. Other colors like white, dark grey, yellowish and pine color are also common.
Unlike porcelain and other pottery products that widely use embryo pulling technique. Zisha ware is made by piece forming technique Here is a detailed video of making Zisha pot in our Facebook Page . Pieces of zisha clay are first patted for balanced tenacity, then tailor cut into sheets according to the measurement of main body design. When the parts are ready, they are then ‘assembled’ by applying to a mold. Then a series of refining procedures carry out before putting into furnace.
Related
2 replies to “The History of Chinese Teaware”
LOB Footwear
Great content! Keep up the good work!
Eetinn
Thank you for the support!
Comments are closed.
Related Posts
Right Teaware for Right Tea
When it comes to brewing a perfect pot of loose leaf tea, the right teaware for right tea is a must-know. What teaware for right tea to use? Dao, Fa, Shu, Qi – “道 法 术 器” means philosophy, law, technique and tool that are the four levels of mastering anything man does. Tool for …