Tea is an important part of Chinese culture, and the tools and methods used by ancient people to make tea are even more colorful. Today, let us go into the ancient times, explore those full of wisdom and beauty of the tea tools, feel a cup of tea before and after.
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The Mysterious Origins of Tea Ware
The origin of tea sets can be traced back to the Han Dynasty. At that time, the tea set was relatively simple, mainly used to make tea. With the changes of the times, the tea set continues to evolve, and gradually developed a wide variety of tea tools. From the initial rough ceramic teapot, to the exquisite porcelain tea, each piece of tea cohesion of the wisdom of the ancients and efforts.
The Art of Making Tea: Water Boilers and Tea Stoves
In ancient times, the first step in making tea was to boil water. Ancient people used to boil water utensils called "water boiler", and specifically used to boil tea stove called "tea stove". The earliest water boiler is pottery, later gradually evolved into bronze and iron. In the Tang Dynasty, there appeared a kind of utensil called "gilt-silver nirvana", which was not only practical, but also had a high ornamental value.
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Tea stoves, on the other hand, are stoves that are used to burn charcoal and boil water. Tea stoves are usually used in conjunction with tea stoves, some of which are designed with special dampers to regulate the heat. This subtle design gives the process of boiling water a sense of art and ceremony.
Tea making tools: teapots and tealights
After the water is boiled, the core tools for making tea are teapot and tealight. Since the Tang Dynasty, teapots have gradually become an important instrument for making tea. Teapots are made of a variety of materials, including ceramics, zisha, metal and so on. The most famous is the Yixing purple sand pot, with its unique material and exquisite production technology, become the heart of the tea people of the past and present.
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Tea calendars, is used to taste tea utensils. Tang Dynasty popular tea calendars are mostly black glaze, known as "Jianjian", known for its deep glaze color, hard texture. To the Song Dynasty, the emergence of celadon tealight, its crystal clear glaze color is pleasing to the eye. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, white porcelain tealights gradually became popular, with its white jade-like appearance, favored by tea people.
The Essence of Tea Tasting: Tea Trays and Teacups
Tea tasting is not just about drinking tea, but also about viewing tea and smelling it. In order to better experience the color and flavor of tea, the ancients invented the tea tray and tea cup. Tea tray is a small tray to place the tea cups, mostly ceramic products, not only to protect the tea cups, but also to prevent the tea from overflowing. Tea tray has a variety of shapes, there are round, square, petal-shaped, etc., decorated with exquisite decorations, very ornamental value.
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Teacups are direct instruments for tasting tea, and they come in different shapes and sizes. Tang Dynasty teacups are mostly bowl-shaped, the Song Dynasty appeared in the shape of a small "hats cup", easy to hold and taste. Ming and Qing dynasties, the design of the tea cup is more colorful, some tea cups are also engraved with poems and patterns, giving the tea cup more cultural connotations.
Tea Props: Tea Leaks and Tea Brushes
In order to ensure the clarity of tea, the ancients also invented the tea funnel and tea brush. Tea funnel is a tea filtering apparatus, mostly made of metal, with fine holes, can filter out the dregs of tea, to ensure that the tea soup is clear. Tea brush is a tool used to stir the tea powder, mostly made of bamboo, used to beat out the tea foam, enhance the taste of tea.
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These exquisite tea props not only enhance the quality of tea brewing, but also add to the pleasure of tea tasting. Through these tools, the ancients turned the process of making tea into a kind of art, tea set is not only a practical instrument, but also a carrier of culture and aesthetics.
Conclusion: The Wisdom and Beauty of Ancient Tea Ware
The diversity and exquisite design of ancient tea-making tools show the ancient people's love of life and pursuit of beauty. From water boilers to teapots, from tealights to tea funnels, each piece of tea utensils condenses the wisdom and efforts of the ancients. These ancient tea utensils are not only an important part of Chinese tea culture, but also bring endless inspiration and revelation for us modern people.
Nowadays, we can relive the poetic and ceremonial tea-making time through these ancient tea utensils, and feel the deep heritage and unique charm of tea culture.
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