The Japanese tea ceremony has a tradition of attaching importance to props. What the tea people really pursue is the creed that "no tea can be made without props", especially the possession and collection of famous props. The following is what I have carefully prepared for you. Let’s take a look at the related history of Japanese tea ceremony tea utensils that you have compiled.

The related history of Japanese tea ceremony tea utensils

In the history of Japanese tea ceremony, there are people who have been promoted to noble positions and received titles because of the presentation of a famous prop. Similarly, because There are people who obsessively hold on to a prop and suffer the disaster of annihilation. Selling a prop can relieve a major famine. In order to compete for the prop, there may even be excessive wars. It is under the influence of this extreme cult of prop worship that the prices of famous props have been raised to jaw-dropping levels. It goes without saying that a middle-class family can't afford a famous prop even if they lose all their money. The high price often makes princes and wealthy businessmen sigh in despair. For example, Matsunagahide purchased a tea called "crop eggplant" for 1,000 guen, which is worth 27 million yen in today's yen. The teapot for storing leaf tea imported from the Philippines and engraved with the inscription "Mikazuki" owned by Oda Nobunaga was worth 10,000 guen. At that time, 1 guan of gold could buy one meter per stone, but now it is 270 million. The sky-high price of the yen. What's more, truly famous props are naturally cherished by their owners and will never be transferred to others unless absolutely necessary. Therefore, famous props are often impossible to buy even if you have money.

This not only raises a question. The Soan tea ceremony founded by Murata Shuguang, Sen no Rikyu, etc. pursues a dull and quiet style, and takes meditation as its first meaning. This requires tea drinkers to be indifferent to fame and fortune; on the other hand, as for props, tea drinkers only seek famous products. They do not hesitate to spend huge sums of money, and even do not hesitate to intrigue and plunder, but the price of the props continues to rise due to the pursuit of the tea masters themselves. Aren’t the luxurious and expensive props contradictory to the simplicity pursued by the tea ceremony?

In this regard, Japan’s tea ancestor Murata Shuguang has a unique opinion. At that time, the most valued and expensive items were Tangwu props from China. Murata Shumitsu believes that only after being exposed to the beauty of Tangmono props can one appreciate the simplicity and tranquility of Yamato-made props. The famous saying that a pearly hut and a famous horse complement each other also reflects this idea.

Murata Shuguang’s successor Takeno Shoou quoted a Japanese song to express the same view: Only after seeing the blooming flowers and red leaves can one appreciate the bleak beauty of autumn.

When Kanamori Munakazu emphasized the importance of props matching and combination, he said it more simply: In a luxurious mansion, pine trees and maples are planted in the garden, and a thatched hut is built. It will make people feel full of flavor; and in the countryside full of thatched huts, only two-story earth and stone buildings can attract attention with the expression of "wealth in simplicity".

The various utensils used in the tea party are the props of the tea ceremony, and the tea ceremony is a prop to help people practice. From this point of view, the tea party is equivalent to the Zen monk's meditation, chanting, walking, silent meditation, and drinking sticks. It is a process of cultivation and a method of practicing Zen. I guess this is why the tea ceremony emphasizes the rules of conduct, the matching of props, and the emphasis on props. Tea utensils for Japanese tea ceremony

Kettle and stove

A handy set of water boilers can bring unlimited inspiration to tea drinkers. Among the so-called "Four Treasures of the Tea House", the Jade Book Simmer is a kettle, and the Chaoshan Stove is a stove for boiling water.

The Jade Book is an ocher-colored thin porcelain flat pot with a water capacity of approximately 250 ml. When the water boils, the lid makes a buzzing sound, like calling someone to make tea. This type of teapot is rarely used in modern times. Most teahouses use the slightly larger purple clay teapot from Yixing, which is usually in the shape of a pumpkin or a Dongpo handle teapot. Iron kettles are also used. Iron kettles are simple and attractive. The boiled water is soft and tastes mellower and sweeter. It can be used to brew tea, which can effectively improve the taste. However, the iron kettle is quite heavy to lift. The water boiled in a silver pot tastes soft and sweet, and the pot is not heavy, but the price is higher.

Teapot

The teapot is the center of the tea set. The size, clay material and shape of the teapot are also related to the aroma and flavor of the tea soup. The Ming Dynasty advocated the value of small pots. If the pot is small, the flavor will not be dispersed and the fragrance will not be hidden. Xu Cishu pointed out in "Cha Shu Ou Zhu" that silver-tin pots are beneficial to tea soup, followed by glazing inside and outside. Porcelain pots. Unfortunately, most old porcelain pots are not resistant to sudden pouring of boiling water, and the porcelain body is prone to cracking. Although Jiangsu Yixing clay teapots were highly praised by tea drinkers at that time, they still needed to avoid insufficient sintering temperatures, which would spoil the tea.

A good pot should have a tight lid. When purchasing, first fill the pot with 80% water, then press the air hole on the lid with your fingers and try to pour water. If the water does not flow out, the lid is very tight. In addition, the whole body of the pot should be symmetrical, and the spout should be round; the spout, button, and handle should be aligned and in a straight line; remove the lid and place the pot upside down on the table, and the spout and spout should be Even. To make the tea come out smoothly, the water column should be sharp, long, round and straight. If the flow rate is too slow, it will affect the quality of the tea soup. The water cutoff of the spout should be bright and clean, without dripping or backflow.

The most important thing is whether the pot is easy to lift and use. Each of us has different hands, in terms of size, length, fatness and weight. When choosing a pot, you have to check whether it feels right when you hold it in your own hand. Some pots have handles that are difficult to hold, or the center of gravity is tilted forward, making it difficult to operate, so they are not ideal. pot. After filling the pot with water, you can lift it flatly with one hand and pour the water slowly. The water will feel comfortable and smooth, which means the center of gravity of the pot is moderate and stable.

Pot holder

The original function of the kettle holder is to ensure that the table surface is clean and dry, and to receive the hot water from the pot. The purpose of the pouring pot is to heat the pot to brew the exquisite and true flavor of the tea. Only tea that needs high temperature brewing can be used. At this time, a deep-bellied tea boat must be used to receive the hot water from the pouring pot. . When using a deep-bellied pot to make tea, remember to pour out the hot water that has poured through the pot, and do not soak the teapot in cold water for a long time. Otherwise, not only will the temperature of the pot drop, but delicious tea soup will not be brewed. And over time, the body of the pot will develop two colors, the upper and lower parts.

When brewing some tea that does not need to be poured into the pot, you can freely choose shallow dishes or borderless pads of various textures, colors, and sizes to match them to highlight the beauty of the lines of the pot. Sometimes, even a stone slab in the corner or a handful of pebbles, carefully arranged by the tea master, can set up the main stage of the pot, just like the rosette at the feet of the Buddha.

Gaiwan

Gaiwan, also known as gaiwan, is a three-piece tea utensil that includes a lid, bowl and holder. Scented tea was popular in the north during the Qing Dynasty. The capacity of the tea soup was large, and tureens with heat preservation functions were developed. The mouth of the tureen is large, and when the lid is lifted, the tea soup and the shape of the leaves can be clearly seen. When drinking, use the lid to stir the tea. You can sip directly. You can also pick up the lid and move it to your nose to smell the aroma. The coaster can prevent your hands from burning when serving tea, and it makes the tureen look elegant and elegant. When we choose a tureen, we need to pick it up and try it out in person. Sometimes the diameter of the tureen is too large for our hands to bear. At the same time, try to see if the lid is easy to move, so that it can be used conveniently when moving tea leaves.

Tea cup

Tea cup, also known as fair cup, is named for its ability to evenly distribute the intensity of each cup of tea. Some also call it the "Sea of ??Tea". In Chapter 41 of "Dream of Red Mansions" Miaoyu mocks Baoyu: One cup is a taste, two cups is a thirst-quenching fool, three cups is a cow and a mule, you eat this sea What is it?

When buying a tea cup, you should pay attention to the fact that the capacity of the tea cup is larger than that of the teapot. Because the tea cup is used to mix the tea soup, sometimes it must be filled with two cups of tea, so the capacity of the tea cup is larger than that of the teapot. The opening of the teacup should be large so that the teapot can be easily poured into the teacup. In addition, just like the teapot, the water outflow from the teacup is also very important. When pouring tea into the teacup, be careful Consider that the water from the tea cup will flow out smoothly and will not be poured everywhere.

Tea cup

A touching cup of tea soup is made up of various subtle causes and conditions, and the power of the tea cup is enough to change the flavor of the tea soup.

When we use cups with different textures, colors, shapes, sizes, heights, and thicknesses to taste tea, the tea soup will show different temperaments, and sometimes the differences are surprisingly large. But no matter what kind of tea, if you drink it from a good cup, the aroma, color and taste of the tea soup will be more delicate, rich and charming.

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