Chinese Tea Sets: A Country’s Culture in Miniature

As the home of more than a billion people, China has a culture that is known throughout the globe. The creativity of the early and modern Chinese helps them to constantly redefine and improve their ways of life. One of the most interesting aspects of their culture is art, which is best shown in the intricacy of Chinese tea sets.

The history of Chinese tea sets can be traced back from the rule of the Han Dynasty. In this era, tea ware primarily consisted of two styles: blue porcelain from the south and white porcelain from the north.

In a third century document, tea leaves were crushed and mixed with a variety of spices which included orange, onions and flower petals. It was then known that tea was mainly used for medicinal purposes and not a drink for pleasure’s sake.

Historians believe that it was during the reign of the Song Dynasty that teapots were developed. An archaeological finding discovered an ancient kiln that contained the remnants of a Yixing teapot. Also called Zi Sha Hu, they are considered to be the most famous teapots.

Named after a city in the Jiangsu Province, these contained a precise compound of iron which resulted in their exceptional colors. Since the clay is porous, the teapot would gradually be heated by using it for brewing a single variety of tea. Artisans created fanciful pots displaying animal shapes through this way.

The Song Dynasty also finished a number of outstanding ceramic tea pots and bowls ranging from blue, brown and black.

These were the usual components of the Chinese tea sets, which were primarily used to serve guests: a Yixing teapot, a tray to trap the wasted tea/water and cups to drink the tea. In addition to these, a tea tool kit which enclosed the following: digger, funnel, needle, shuffle, tongs and vase were also in place. There was also a sieve to help filter out the free bits during pouring and a brush to wipe the wasted tea all over the tray to create an even stain. One or two clay animals were finally used by numerous Chinese drinkers for purposes of art and luck.

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.

Author S. Cheng is a home and lifestyle magazine editor situated in Beijing, China. She has a fascination for Chinese Tea Sets and many other asian style of living. Check out her website about the Chinese Tea Sets here.