The Tea Detective
Uncovering and Exploring the Facts About Tea
Uncovering and Exploring the Facts About Tea
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| I'm a Little Teapot... |
| Copyright 2009-2010 www.theteadetective.com All rights reserved. No reproductions of any kind allowed without permission. |
| Nearly every home has one...many have more than one. Some even have vast collections in every conceivable shape and form. I'm talking about the humble teapot. |
| If the kitchen is the heart of the home, then the teapot is most definitely the soul. It turns the simple act of brewing tea into an art of sorts. For some reason, pouring tea from a teapot gives the feel of elegance and quiet sophistication. It's hard to explain, but it's a feeling you get - carried back over generations, to a time when afternoon tea was a time for gathering together to share the news of the day. I like to think of it as the social networking of old, and it makes me want to go back to that time, if even for a moment. Back when tea was brewed in a beautiful china teapot and drunk from a china cup, rather than a cardboard one. But I guess that's just the romantic in me. |
| The Chinese and China |
| The earliest adaptation of the teapot we know today came from ewers, used for centuries in China for holding wine. From the ewer, the teapot evolved over thou- sands of years. The word "china" (meaning domestic pottery) originated in the late 16th century when the Dutch began carrying car- goes of tea from China to Europe. Small, broad-based teapots with wide spouts, packed with tea, were included with the ship- ments. Called simply "china", this Chinese stoneware was altogether new to Europe, and Dutch potters immediately began their hand at duplicating it. Two such successful potters in particular, the Eler's brothers, moved their business from the Netherlands to Staffordshire, England, making it the source for fine pottery. In their wake came such impressive names as Wedgewood, Spode, Worcester, Minton, and Denby. But it wasn't an easy road. It took nearly a hundred years for the Eler's brothers and other English potters to replicate not only fine bone china and stoneware, but also to discover the secret to creating genuine fine translucent hard paste porcelain invented by the Chinese under the Tang Dynasty. Many of the early teapots replicated the Chinese designs of mythological symbols and creatures, but later teapots reflected the styles currently in vogue at that time - the 18th century rococo and neoclassical shapes. And in the 19th century came the heavily ornamental Victorian styles. Today you can find just about any shape, color, theme or style you desire. Everything from simple and practical, to highly decorated collector pieces are available. From cars to show personalities, and sports figures, to your favorite animal, flower, or style of house - it's out there. For those who are collectors, it's not only fun to search, but for some a passion. So the next time you brew tea, whether in your simple, practical, everyday teapot, or your grandma's delicate, fine, bone china, take a moment to reflect on the ancient journey of the humble teapot. Enjoy. |
| For a great selection of teapots - from decorative to utilitarian, Yixing, and more, along with quality teas, gifts, and accessories, visit: The Tea Detective's Gift of Tea Store |
Receive A Guide To Tea, an 88-page book on the history and enjoyment of tea free with your first Adagio Teas order of $19 or more.
| Be sure to stop by our YIXING TEAPOT MARKETPLACE PAGE for a great selection of Yixing teapots to choose from including: Beautiful, collectible Yixing teapots made by "national treasure" artist Zhang Wen-Lan |