The vessel is the father of tea. The Chinese tea sage, Lu Yu, once said: ‘Water is the mother of tea, and the vessel is the father of tea.’ It is often said that ‘one must sharpen one’s tools to do their job well.’ Although China has a multitude of tea varieties, in the practice of tea art, it is not only about the color, aroma, taste, shape of the tea, and the purity and sweetness of the water used for brewing, but also requires various types of tea utensils to highlight and bring out the characteristics of the tea.
Tea utensils are indispensable in the process of drinking tea. A complete set of tea utensils includes a teapot, a lidded bowl, a fair cup, tasting cups, aroma cups, a tea tray, a tea scoop, a tea cloth, a tea caddy, a tea strainer, a tea tube, a tea measure, tea tongs, tea needles, tea spoons, a teapot brush, a tea knife, a tea filter, and a tea ocean, among others… Brewing tea can be as simple as using just one pot and one cup; it can also be very particular, with the entire tea ceremony being imbued with a sense of ritual. ‘Particularity’ is a form of ritual and a reflection of one’s taste. Each tea utensil has its own purpose, so what tea utensils are there on the tea table? Let’s take a closer look at their names and uses.Tasting Cups: Tasting cups are utensils for holding tea water. Water from the teapot is poured into the tasting cups and then served to guests for tasting. Tasting cups come in two sizes: the smaller one is also called a tasting cup, which is used in conjunction with the aroma cup; the larger one can also be used directly for brewing and holding tea, mainly for tasting high-grade delicate famous teas.
Tea Strainer: The tea strainer, also known as a tea funnel, is one of the main tea utensils in Han Chinese tea art. It is commonly used when brewing tea, placed on the pot’s mouth to guide the tea into the pot and prevent tea leaves from falling outside. Lidded Bowl: The lidded bowl is a Han Chinese tea utensil that consists of a lid on top, a saucer at the bottom, and a bowl in the middle. It is also known as the ‘Three Talents Bowl’ or ‘Three Talents Cup,’ with the lid representing heaven, the saucer representing earth, and the bowl representing humanity, symbolizing the harmony of heaven, earth, and people. The ‘tea saucer’ is also called the ‘tea boat. ‘ When using a lidded bowl for tea, it should be rinsed with boiling water, then filled with tea leaves, covered, and steeped for about 20 seconds to 3 minutes, depending on the amount and type of tea. The lidded bowl serves dual functions as both a tea cup and a teapot, allowing for direct brewing and drinking in the bowl or brewing in the bowl and then pouring into tasting cups for multiple people to enjoy. Most lidded bowls used today are made of porcelain, but there are also glass and purple sand varieties. Porcelain lidded bowls often feature various patterns, such as blue and white or imitation Qing palace yellow bowls. When selecting a lidded bowl, attention should be paid to the flared rim of the cup; the greater the flared angle, the easier it is to handle, and the less likely it is to burn your hand during brewing. Tasting Cups: Tasting cups are small cups used for drinking tea. They come in materials such as porcelain, pottery, purple sand, and glass, with purple sand, glass, white porcelain, and celadon being more commonly used. Styles include conical, semi-circular, and bowl-shaped, with the bowl-shaped being the most common. The material of the tasting cup should echo the teapot. Different tasting cups can be used for different occasions, depending on the host’s mood, purpose, and preferences, carrying the host’s aura and showcasing a unique style and charm.A tea tray is a shallow container used to hold teapots, teacups, tea ceremony sets, tea pets, and even tea snacks. It can be large or small, with square, round, or fan-shaped designs. It can be single-layered or double-layered. The double-layered one is used to hold waste water and can be drawer-style or built-in. It can be made from a wide range of materials, including gold, wood, bamboo, and pottery.
A tea measure is one of the six tools in the Han Chinese tea ceremony. It is a measuring tool used to take tea powder into the soup when brewing tea among the Han people. In the tea ceremony, when taking tea from the tea canister and putting it into the tea holder or teapot, a tea measure is needed to measure the amount. The tea brewed in the teapot has different strengths from top to bottom and may also have some tea dregs. This means that not every guest can taste the same-tasting tea. So, the tea soup needs to be poured into a container and then distributed to the guests. This container is called a fair cup, also known as a tea ocean. After the tea in the teapot is brewed, it should be immediately poured into the fair cup. If the time is too long, the tea soup will become too strong. After pouring the tea soup into the fair cup, wait for a few seconds for the tea soup to settle. Then, distribute the tea in the fair cup to the teacups in the order from left to right and then from right to left. This can ensure that the concentration of the tea soup in each teacup is basically the same. Fair cups are made of porcelain, purple clay, and glass. Among them, porcelain and glass fair cups are the most commonly used. Some fair cups have handles, some don’t, and there are also fair cups with strainers, but they are relatively rare. During the tea art or gongfu tea operation process, the fair cup, teacup, and teapot are the three main characters. So, when choosing a fair cup, pay attention to matching it with the teapot and teacup. Generally speaking, the fair cup should be slightly larger than the teapot and gaiwan. A tea pair of tongs, also known as tea chopsticks, has the same function as a tea spoon. It can pick out tea dregs from the teapot. Some people also use it to hold the teacup when washing the cup, which is heat-resistant and hygienic. A tea towel, also known as a tea cloth, its main function is to dry the teapot. Before pouring tea, dry the remaining water at the bottom of the teapot or tea ocean, and it can also wipe the tea that has dripped onto the table. A tea needle, also known as a tea tong, is one of the tea utensils in the Han Chinese tea art. It is generally made of wood or horn materials. The function of the tea needle is to dredge the inner net (honeycomb) of the teapot to keep the water flowing smoothly, or to even out the tea leaves after putting them in, with broken tea at the bottom and whole tea on top. For the water boiler used in making tea, in ancient times, a wind furnace was used. Currently, alcohol lamps and electric kettles are more common. In addition, gas stoves and electric water boilers are also used. A coaster is used to hold the tea-tasting cup and serve the tea. A tea canister is a container for storing tea. It must be odorless, airtight, and light-proof. Its materials include tinplate, stainless steel, tin alloy, and ceramics, etc. A tea boat, also known as a tea holder or a cup holder, is also called a tea holder or a tea support.Designed to hold tea cups and prevent burns, it later became known as a tea boat or tea ship due to its resemblance to a vessel. Its common functions include: holding hot water to warm cups, receiving overflow tea water from the pot, and maintaining warmth.
Tea Ocean, also known as a tea bowl or fairness cup, is used to pour tea soup from the teapot to the tea ocean after it reaches the appropriate concentration, then distribute it to each small tea cup to ensure uniform tea concentration and to settle tea dregs. Tea Spoon, also known as a tea scoop or tea skimmer, is shaped like a spoon and is mainly used to dig out tea leaves from a steeped teapot. After brewing, tea leaves often tightly fill the teapot, and since most teapot mouths are not large, it is inconvenient and unhygienic to remove the leaves with hands, hence the use of a tea spoon. The Six Gentlemen of Tea Ceremony are auxiliary tools in the art of tea, made of materials such as bamboo and wood, or metal. The term ‘Six Gentlemen’ generally refers to six items, as shown in the figure below. ① Tea Caddy: Used for storing utensils. ② Tea Strainer: When the teapot mouth is small, it can be placed on the mouth to act as a funnel, and the tea filter that filters tea dregs can also be called a tea strainer. ③ Tea Tongs: Used for holding cups, etc. ④ Tea Scoop/Tea Ladle: Used for taking tea leaves from a tea canister or bag. ⑤ Tea Needle: Used for unblocking the teapot spout or moving tea leaves. ⑥ Tea Spoon: Used for moving tea leaves, cleaning the teapot, also known as a tea scraper or tea skimmer. Other Small Tools: ① Pot Support: When not using a tea tray, a pot support is needed to hold the teapot. ② Tea Brush: Used for maintaining teapots, tea pets, and cleaning tea trays. ③ Tea Knife: Used for prying tea cakes, tea bricks, and other compressed teas. ④ Lid Rest: Used for placing the teapot lid. ⑤ Tea Tool Rack: Used for placing tea tongs, tea needles, tea spoons, etc. ⑥ Water Basin: Used for washing tea cups or holding tea dreg water, also known as a tea dreg jar, water ewer, or Jian water, etc. Decorative Props: Table Banner: Made of various materials and forms, it functions similarly to a tablecloth and is also called a tea mat. It is usually centered around tea utensils and is composed of different elements to form a complete tea ceremony art combination. The direct function of the tea mat is: first, to prevent the objects on the tea mat from directly touching the table (or ground) to keep the objects clean; second, to assist the objects in completing the theme of the tea mat design with its own characteristics. Tea Pets: Small decorations on the tea table. Pets nourished by tea water, dipped in tea soup or directly splashed with leftover tea water, over time, tea pets become warm and charming, filled with the aroma of tea. In fact, they are small handicrafts made of purple sand or fine mud, such as elephants, turtles, toads, pixiu, pigs, etc. Incense Burner: Used for burning incense. The connection between incense and tea is very close. Drinking tea and burning incense have been indispensable since ancient times. Burning incense can calm the mind and eliminate restless moods. Only in this way can one quietly taste tea and understand the true charm of tea. Vase: Used for flower arrangement. Flower arrangement on the tea table can add a touch of brilliance and agility, making the entire tea table more vivid, but it should not overshadow the main focus, so it is suitable to arrange some flowers with light fragrance, such as plum blossoms or a small branch of osmanthus.The Dry Brewing Method generally does not use a tea tray. Discarded tea water is directly poured into the trash can. This can keep the tabletop clean and easy to tidy up, and tea can be brewed anytime and anywhere. The Wet Brewing Method refers to the practice of casually cleaning tea sets and rinsing tea on the tea table and directly pouring the discarded water onto the tea table. The most obvious difference between the two brewing methods is whether to use a tea tray or whether water can be directly poured onto the tabletop.
