Teaware
Encyclopedia
Teaware encompasses a broad international spectrum of equipment used in the brewing and consumption of tea
. Many components make up that spectrum, and vary greatly based upon the type of tea being prepared, and the cultural
setting in which it is bring prepared. This is often referred to as the tea ceremony
, and holds much significance in many cultures, particularly in northwestern Europe
and in eastern Asia
.
Tea bowl (茶碗, chawan?). Tea bowls are available in a wide range of sizes and styles, and different styles are used for thick and thin tea. Shallow bowls, which allow the tea to cool rapidly, are used in summer; deep bowls are used in winter. Bowls are frequently named by their creators or owners, or by a tea master. Bowls over four hundred years old are in use today, but only on unusually special occasions. The best bowls are thrown by hand, and some bowls are extremely valuable. Irregularities and imperfections are prized: they are often featured prominently as the "front" of the bowl.
Tea whisk (茶筅, chasen?). This is the implement used to mix the powdered tea with the hot water. Tea whisks are carved from a single piece of bamboo
. There are various types. Tea whisks quickly become worn and damaged with use, and the host should use a new one when holding a chakai or chaji.
Tea caddy (棗, Natsume?). The small lidded container in which the powdered tea is placed for use in the tea-making procedure ([お]手前; [お]点前; [御]手前, [o]temae?).
Tea scoop (茶杓, chashaku?). Tea scoops generally are carved from a single piece of bamboo, although they may also be made of ivory
or wood. They are used to scoop tea from the tea caddy into the tea bowl. Bamboo tea scoops in the most casual style have a nodule in the approximate center. Larger scoops are used to transfer tea into the tea caddy in the mizuya (preparation area), but these are not seen by guests. Different styles and colours are used in various tea traditions.
Chakin (茶巾?). The "chakin" is a small rectangular white linen or hemp
cloth mainly used to wipe the tea bowl.
in Japan
to porcelain
and clay
in China
, and also bamboo and other woods. Of particular repute are the Yixing clay
teapots produced in eastern China.
The above tea wares were also mentioned by Lu Yu except for the stone mill (石磨) and tea whisk (茶筅)in The Classic of Tea
.
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
. Many components make up that spectrum, and vary greatly based upon the type of tea being prepared, and the cultural
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
setting in which it is bring prepared. This is often referred to as the tea ceremony
Tea ceremony
A tea ceremony is a ritualised form of making tea. The term generally refers to either chayi Chinese tea ceremony, chado Japanese tea ceremony, tarye Korean tea ceremony. The Japanese tea ceremony is more well known, and was influenced by the Chinese tea ceremony during ancient and medieval times....
, and holds much significance in many cultures, particularly in northwestern Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and in eastern Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.
Components
- TeapotTeapotA teapot is a vessel used for steeping tea leaves or a herbal mix in near-boiling water. Tea may be either in a tea bag or loose, in which case a tea strainer will be needed, either to hold the leaves as they steep or to catch the leaves inside the teapot when the tea is poured...
s, which are used to steep the tea leaves in hot water - TeacupTeacupA teacup is a small cup, with or without a handle, generally a small one that may be grasped with the thumb and one or two fingers. It is typically made of a ceramic material. It is usually part of a set, composed of a cup and a matching saucer. These in turn may be part of a tea set in...
s, which are vessels from which to drink the hot tea out of which the leaves have been strained. There are many different kinds of tea cups. - Tea strainerTea strainerA tea strainer is a type of strainer that is placed over or in a teacup to catch tea leaves.When tea is brewed in the traditional manner in a teapot, the tea leaves are not contained in teabags, but rather are freely suspended in the water. As the leaves themselves may be distasteful, it is usual...
s, for extracting leaves from tea solutions - Tea trays, or draining trayTea draining trayThe "Tea draining tray", "Tea Tray", "Gongfu Tea Tray", or "Tea Sea" is an integral piece of equipment for the Gongfu Tea Ceremony.It is essentially a grate, which allows excess and waste liquids to be drained away, and either collected in a pan under the grate, or drained away through a hose that...
s, which are used to keep the tea and/or hot water from spilling onto the table. - Tea bagTea bagA tea bag is a small, porous sealed bag containing tea leaves and used for brewing tea. Tea bags are commonly made of paper, silk or plastic. The bag contains the tea leaves while the tea is brewed, making it easier to dispose of the leaves, and performs the same function as a tea infuser...
s and tea balls, which are used to hold tea leaves in water for removal after steeping. - Tea caddiesTea caddyA tea caddy is a box, jar, canister, or other receptacle used to store tea.The word is believed to be derived from catty, the Chinese pound, equal to about a pound and a third avoirdupois. The earliest examples that came to Europe were of Chinese porcelain, and approximated in shape to the...
, for storing tea when not being consumed
Japanese tea ware
The following are a few of the essential components:Tea bowl (茶碗, chawan?). Tea bowls are available in a wide range of sizes and styles, and different styles are used for thick and thin tea. Shallow bowls, which allow the tea to cool rapidly, are used in summer; deep bowls are used in winter. Bowls are frequently named by their creators or owners, or by a tea master. Bowls over four hundred years old are in use today, but only on unusually special occasions. The best bowls are thrown by hand, and some bowls are extremely valuable. Irregularities and imperfections are prized: they are often featured prominently as the "front" of the bowl.
Tea whisk (茶筅, chasen?). This is the implement used to mix the powdered tea with the hot water. Tea whisks are carved from a single piece of bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
. There are various types. Tea whisks quickly become worn and damaged with use, and the host should use a new one when holding a chakai or chaji.
Tea caddy (棗, Natsume?). The small lidded container in which the powdered tea is placed for use in the tea-making procedure ([お]手前; [お]点前; [御]手前, [o]temae?).
Tea scoop (茶杓, chashaku?). Tea scoops generally are carved from a single piece of bamboo, although they may also be made of ivory
Ivory
Ivory is a term for dentine, which constitutes the bulk of the teeth and tusks of animals, when used as a material for art or manufacturing. Ivory has been important since ancient times for making a range of items, from ivory carvings to false teeth, fans, dominoes, joint tubes, piano keys and...
or wood. They are used to scoop tea from the tea caddy into the tea bowl. Bamboo tea scoops in the most casual style have a nodule in the approximate center. Larger scoops are used to transfer tea into the tea caddy in the mizuya (preparation area), but these are not seen by guests. Different styles and colours are used in various tea traditions.
Chakin (茶巾?). The "chakin" is a small rectangular white linen or hemp
Hemp
Hemp is mostly used as a name for low tetrahydrocannabinol strains of the plant Cannabis sativa, of fiber and/or oilseed varieties. In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel with modest...
cloth mainly used to wipe the tea bowl.
Construction
Tea equipment may be constructed of many materials, from ironIron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
to porcelain
Porcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
and clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, and also bamboo and other woods. Of particular repute are the Yixing clay
Yixing clay
Yixing clay is a type of clay from the region near the city of Yixing in Jiangsu province, China. Its use dates back to the Song Dynasty when purple clay was first mined around Lake Taihu in China. From the 17th century on, the ware was commonly exported to Europe. The finished stoneware, which...
teapots produced in eastern China.
Lu Yu’s Tea Ware (陸羽的茶具)
- crushing block (砧椎)
- brazier (風爐)
- charcoal basket (炭筥)
- charcoal mallet (炭檛)
- fire chopsticks (火筴)
- cauldron (鍑)
- cauldron stand (交床)
- tea tongs (夾)
- paper wallet (紙囊)
- crushing roller (碾)
- sieve box (羅合)
- tea holder (則)
- water vessel (水方)
- water filter bag (漉水囊)
- gourd scooper (瓢)
- bamboo tongs (竹夾)
- salt container (鹺簋)
- boiled water vessel (熟盂)
- bowl (碗)
- bowl basket (畚)
- brush (劄)
- water basin (滌方)
- spent tea basin (滓方)
- tea cloth (巾)
- utensil table (具列)
- utensil basket (都籃)
Old Man Shenan’s 12 Tea Ware (審安老人的12茶具)
- Brazier 風爐 (hong lu 韋鴻臚)
- Crushing Block 砧椎 (mu dai zhi 木待制)
- Crushing Roller 碾 (jin fa cao 金法曹)
- Stone Mill 石磨 ( shi zhuan yun 石轉運 )
- Gourd Scooper 瓢 (hu yuan wai 胡員外)
- Sieve Box 羅合 (luo shu mi 羅樞密)
- Brush 札 (zong cong shi 宗從事)
- Bowl Basket 畚 (qi diao mi ge漆 雕秘閣)
- Bowl 碗 (tao bao wen 陶寶文)
- Water Vessel 水方 (tang ti dian 湯提點)
- Tea Whisk 茶筅 (zhu fu shi 竺副師)
- Tea Cloth 巾 (si zhi fang 司職方)
The above tea wares were also mentioned by Lu Yu except for the stone mill (石磨) and tea whisk (茶筅)in The Classic of Tea
The Classic of Tea
The Classic of Tea or Tea Classic is the very first monograph on tea in the world, written by Chinese writer Lu Yu between 760 CE and 780 CE during the Tang Dynasty....
.
See also
- Museum of Tea WareFlagstaff HouseFlagstaff House is the oldest example of British-style architecture remaining in Hong Kong. It is located in 10 Cotton Tree Drive, Central - within the Hong Kong Park....
, Hong Kong IslandHong Kong IslandHong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008... - Tea setTea setA tea set, in the Western tradition, is a set of dishes sold in a group for use at afternoon tea or a formal tea party.Tea sets vary greatly in quality and price, from inexpensive to high-end.-Items in a tea set:...
- List of Japanese tea ceremony equipment