In the vast world of Tea wares, every tea enthusiast has their unique preferences and favorites. Nowadays, when we talk about tea wares, we mainly refer to items like Teapots, teacups, and tea spoons. The categories are quite limited.
However, in ancient times, the connotation of “tea wares” was much richer than it is today. Some of the shapes and functions of these objects can only be imagined in our minds. In his “Ten Odes on Tea Implements,” the Tang Dynasty literati Pi Rixiu listed a variety of tea wares including “tea grove, tea picker, tea shoots, tea basket, tea hut, tea stove, tea oven, tea cauldron, tea bowl, and tea boiling.”
The pursuit of retro aesthetics isn't just confined to the cutting-edge international fashion runways; “Zen tea wares” that return to simplicity are also a form of pure retro art. Two arcs intertwine as a piece of clay passes through the test of fire and earth, creating an emotional haven for tea enthusiasts and their tea, as well as a contemplation of the chaotic nature of Pottery.
Whether they were Tang and Song poets or Yuan and Ming painters, we often find verses about “tea wares” in their works. Bai Juyi, in his poem “After Sleeping, Thinking of Yang Tongzhou and Craving Tea,” mentions “here I place a rope bed, and beside it wash the tea utensils.” A Northern Song painter wrote of “carrying only tea implements to appreciate the utmost seclusion.” Southern Song poet Weng Juan left us with the famous line “never tired of reading the Yellow Court Scroll, my poetry pouch and tea ware always by my side.”
Tea wares from the Song Dynasty had the distinctive feature of being “as blue as the sky, resonant as a stone, exquisitely beautiful,” marking the heyday of tea ware development. Today, white clay tea wares modeled after Song Dynasty designs integrate classical elegance, with White Tea trays supporting round teapots, fair pitchers, and teacups, evoking a sense of clarity both inside and out. Each vessel has its own shape, slightly imbued with Zen meaning. The light green, bluish Lotus Breeze tea wares have a delicate and elegant color, appearing as if lotus hearts are used as teapots, petals as cups, all elegantly arranged on a fresh lotus leaf, pleasing to the eye and possessing a grace without ostentation.
The smooth glazed pottery tea wares have simple and generous shapes, with a pure and rustic tone. Some resemble sturdy bamboo joints, others look like blooming lotus flowers, and some seem like newly unearthed clay artifacts, incorporating a slightly Zen design philosophy that interprets a new, antique-inspired style in modern clay.
Taste tea slowly, appreciate the wares carefully. If creating retro art requires a heartfelt experience of life, then we should calm our minds, hold a pinch of tea leaves, boil a pot of spring water, hold a cup, accompanied by a faint fragrance, seeking a state of mind. There may be a hint of mild bitterness, as it is mixed with memories that gradually fade over time.
Author: ChaChaXiangXiang