Bill Merrill on mon 22 jun 09
It seems there is controversy as to which country developed the cast
iron teapot. From what I read , Japan started casting these teapots in
the 17th century
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http://tetsubin.jp/history.html
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A History of Teapots (From the Net)
The Need for Teapots
The story of teapots begins with their necessity -- the development of
tea and its regular consumption required an efficient, and later an
aesthetically pleasing, vessel for brewing and drinking.
There are two legends about the invention of tea. Some attribute the
discovery of tea to Shen Nung, a Chinese Emperor in the 3rd century BCE,
who sat under a tree while boiling his drinking water. When the leaves
of Camellia sinensis fell into his bowl, the agreeable taste prompted
the genesis of tea drinking. An alternative account gives credit to a
Dharuma Buddhist monk who travelled to China from India in the 5th
century CE. During his fifth year of a seven year meditiation undertaken
to prove his faith, he became sleepy. In an effort to remain focussed he
cut off his offending eyelids and threw them onto the ground, whence
sprang the tea plant. He decided to make a drink from the leaves and
discovered it kept him awake, allowing him to pursue his spiritual
studies.
Camellia sinensis, the common tea plant, was first cultivated in the 4th
century CE, after wild specimens were brought to China from India.
Actually an evergreen tree which may grow up to 50 feet, the
domesticated plant is pruned to a bush-like state and kept at a height
of five feet. After three to five years of growth, its leaves may be
harvested to make tea. Today, women constitute the majority of pickers,
and there is no machine that can exceed the 60 to 70 pounds of leaves
per day that an experienced worker can collect. These 60 to 70 pounds of
fresh leaves produce approximately 20 pounds of dry tea, or 2800 cups of
tea. (To find out more about the process of making tea, go to our page
From Tree to Teapot .)
Teapots were not used immediately upon the discovery of tea. From the
8th century CE, tea leaves were rolled by hand, dried and then ground
into a powder. At first, this powder was mixed with salt and formed into
cakes that would be dropped into bowls of hot water to form a thick
mixture. Eventually the powder was left in its loose form, to be mixed
in a bowl with boiling water and whipped into a froth. This method of
tea-making was introduced into Japan in the early 9th century CE. Tea
was considered medicinal in both China and Japan for the next 500 years.
At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in China, leaf infusion
as we know it now became popular. The earliest examples of teapots come
from this period, made from the zisha, or "purple" clay, of the YiXing
region of China. Pottery in the YiXing tradition has been strong since
the Sung Dynasty (960-1279); wares are valued for their fine texture,
thin walls, and naturally beautiful coloration ranging from light buff
to deep maroon tones. The transition from drinking bowls to teapots was
a smooth one. YiXing teapots were, and still are, used to brew tea as
well as act as the drinking vessel -- one sips directly from the spout
of a single-serving pot. YiXing teapots gradually season, the unglazed
clay absorbing the flavor of brewed tea, making them a favorite choice
for tea lovers. The dissemination of YiXing teapots greatly influenced
not only the forms of teapots found throughout the world, but also
prompted the invention of hard-paste porcelain in the western world.
(Modern YiXing teapots can be found at www.YiXing.com, along with
information about the manufacture and use of these legendary pieces.)=3D20
Japanese demand for teapots created a growth in the industry of this new
form of pottery. By the 15th century CE, both the Chinese and Japanese
were drinking tea for ceremonial purposes, and the beverage was no
longer regarded solely for its medicinal properties. Chinese scholars
and intellectuals involved themselves in the design of teapots. The
"cult of tea" in Japan, led by the artist Sen Rikyu (1522-1591), became
an impetus for stylistic and artistic evolution in YiXing teapot
designs. Cha-no-yu, the tea ceremony which forms the basis for Japanese
Buddhist "Teaism," serves as a natural expression and discipline of
zazen meditation and is viewed as an art. (The Japanese tea ceremony is
described in detail on our page Chado: Adoration of the Everyday
.) Teapots detailed with themes from
nature or sutras were desirable adjuncts to this art, and YiXing pots
themselves became prized as creative works. The Japanese began making
red clay or shudei teapots; they imported Chinese artists to teach them
potting methods, and developed new techniques for creating these
delicate wares. The old province of Bizen became an increasingly
important center for Japanese ceramics. Raku, rough and dark
earthenware, emerged.
The emergence and early evolution of teapots spanned several hundred
years. Tea drinking had spread South through Asia, and was noticeable in
Formosa (Taiwan), Siam (Thailand), Burma/Myanmar and the islands of
Sumatra and Java in Indonesia. The next 300 years would see the global
spread of tea -- and, of course, the teapot.=3D20
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home page | the spread west |
porcelain =3D20
tree to teapot | chado
| colonization and tea
| modern teapots
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mel jacobson on mon 22 jun 09
please remember, the cast iron pot is a water heater.
it is not a traditional tea pot.
it is most often used with the tea ceremony, and of course
in the average home to heat water for tea.
it is a kettle.
mel
from: minnetonka, mn
website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
clayart link: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
new book: http://www.21stcenturykilns.com
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