China has fondly been referred by many books as 'the Dragon' due to its reverberating culture that is known the world over. The creativity of the early and modern Chinese always helps them to redefine themselves. An important part of their culture is art and one of the best examples of this is the use of Chinese tea sets.
Chinese tea sets trace its history about 220 - 206 B.C., during the rule of the Han Dynasty. In this time, tea ware mainly consisted of two styles: white porcelain from the north and blue porcelain from the south.
In a manuscript written about the third century A.D., tea leaves were flattened and mixed with a variety of spices which included onions, orange, and flower petals. It was known that tea was mainly used for medicinal purposes and not a drink for pleasure's sake during this time.
Historians believe that the teapot was developed during the reign of the Song Dynasty. An archaeological dig revealed that remnants of a Yixing teapot were found in an ancient kiln.
They are named after a city in the Jiangsu Province, where a precise compound of iron ore resulted in the exceptional coloration of these teapots. Since the clay is porous, the teapot would gradually be heated by using it for brewing one kind of tea. Through this, artisans created fanciful pots displaying animal shapes.
The Song Dynasty also finished a number of outstanding ceramic tea pots and bowls ranging from blue, brown and black.
The Chinese tea sets used to serve the guests consisted of the following materials: a Yixing teapot, a tray to trap the wasted tea/water and cups to drink the tea. Additional items included a tea tool kit which enclosed the following: digger, funnel, needle, shuffle, tongs and vase. There was also a brush to wipe the wasted tea all over the tray to create an even tea stain and a sieve to help filter out the free bits during pouring. Finally, one or two clay animals were used for display and for luck by numerous Chinese drinkers.
Tea drinking is a tradition that is indeed very important for the Chinese. The use of Chinese tea sets by many families up to now indicates its role in their culture. True to its essence, the Chinese tea sets in a way give us a sip of the country's amazing culture. - 30294
Chinese tea sets trace its history about 220 - 206 B.C., during the rule of the Han Dynasty. In this time, tea ware mainly consisted of two styles: white porcelain from the north and blue porcelain from the south.
In a manuscript written about the third century A.D., tea leaves were flattened and mixed with a variety of spices which included onions, orange, and flower petals. It was known that tea was mainly used for medicinal purposes and not a drink for pleasure's sake during this time.
Historians believe that the teapot was developed during the reign of the Song Dynasty. An archaeological dig revealed that remnants of a Yixing teapot were found in an ancient kiln.
They are named after a city in the Jiangsu Province, where a precise compound of iron ore resulted in the exceptional coloration of these teapots. Since the clay is porous, the teapot would gradually be heated by using it for brewing one kind of tea. Through this, artisans created fanciful pots displaying animal shapes.
The Song Dynasty also finished a number of outstanding ceramic tea pots and bowls ranging from blue, brown and black.
The Chinese tea sets used to serve the guests consisted of the following materials: a Yixing teapot, a tray to trap the wasted tea/water and cups to drink the tea. Additional items included a tea tool kit which enclosed the following: digger, funnel, needle, shuffle, tongs and vase. There was also a brush to wipe the wasted tea all over the tray to create an even tea stain and a sieve to help filter out the free bits during pouring. Finally, one or two clay animals were used for display and for luck by numerous Chinese drinkers.
Tea drinking is a tradition that is indeed very important for the Chinese. The use of Chinese tea sets by many families up to now indicates its role in their culture. True to its essence, the Chinese tea sets in a way give us a sip of the country's amazing culture. - 30294
About the Author:
S. Cheng is a lifestyle magazine editor situated in Beijing, China. She has a fascination for Chinese Tea Sets and many other oriental style of living. Check out her website about the Chinese Tea Sets here.
