The Tea and the Teapot (China Mania at Asian Civilizations Museum ACM) Singapore Vidya Schalk

The Tea and the Teapot

By Vidya Schalk

mention of tenmoku, referring It may come as a surprise to a special type of tea bowl to many but tea, made from first produced in China during the leaves and buds of Camellia the Song Dynasty and named sinensis, is the second most after China’s famous Mount consumed beverage on earth Tianmu (Heaven’s Eye), Mount today, after water. A cup of Tenmoku in Japanese. These tea evokes warmth, a pleasant Chinese jian-ware bowls were feeling, and a moment to relax made of very hard, coarse-grain, and to recharge. In Chinese iron-rich clay. In the 13th century pinyin, Cháhuā meaning ‘tea flower’, is perhaps the origin Japanese Chan Buddhist monks, of the words cha or chai that after a residence at Mt Tianmu, we know today. The tea returned to Japan with these and the teapot have had an bowls. The Ashikaga shoguns intimate relationship for a very (1338 -1568 CE) held tenmoku long time, one that is worth in the greatest esteem for their exploring. Many artefacts at the highly ritualised tea ceremonies. current China Mania! exhibition The most prized tenmoku glazes, at the Asian Civilisations resembling starburst spots, Museum lend themselves to this the streaking of hare’s fur, the Changsa bowl from Belitung Shipwreck inscribed with chazhanzi exploration. mottling of partridge markings, (teabowl),Tang Dynasty, 9th century, glazed stoneware with Tea was used in China as a or the silvery splattering of underglaze inscription medicinal infusion, for chewing, oil spots, were produced by and as a pickle as early as 4,000 splashing a mix of wood or years ago. Pickled tea still plays bamboo ash onto the dark, irona pivotal role in Burmese ritual culture and in pockets of rich glaze. Four of these bowls have survived from that Sichuan and Yunnan provinces in China. Written evidence period and are designated ‘National Treasures’ in Japan. dating from 650 CE, during the Tang Dynasty, reveals that During the Song dynasty (960-1279 CE), tea leaves were tea was being cultivated and was well-established in most of ground to a very fine powder, the tea-maker scooped out a China’s provinces. Tang records show that tea leaves were small amount and after adding boiling water, placed it in a made into bricks, round slabs or compressed disks known as bowl, then stirred the powder to a frothy consistency with ‘dragon rounds’ and were first ground into small bits, then a bamboo brush, to serve. The ground tea was consumed boiled in a cauldron-like pot by the tea-maker. This brew was along with the liquid. There is a cultural memory for this then scooped out into small bowls to be served. practice and to this day the older generations of Shanghai, As early as 600 CE, Buddhist monks returning from studies Suzhou and Nanjing will say, “let us go eat tea” as an in China, introduced tea into Japan. They used tea as an aid to invitation to have a cup of tea. The Tang and the Song meditation and as the focus of many ceremonies. During the dynasties therefore, had no need of teapots. One of the eighth and ninth centuries, the use of tea became widespread Changsa bowls dating to the Tang dynasty and salvaged in courtly and monastic circles and a tea culture developed. from the Belitung shipwreck, has the words chazhanzi (tea From the 1330s, all Japanese social classes drank tea. bowl) inscribed on it, attesting to the fact that the tea bowls In a Japanese document from 1335 CE we find the first were sufficient.

Tea bowl, Song dynasty (960-1279 CE), Jizhou kilns, Jiangxi province, China.

Tortoise-shell glaze was produced by splashing a mix of wood or bamboo ash and slip (liquid clay) onto the vessel after it had been dipped in a dark ironbrown glaze

12

PASSAGE November / December 2014

Tea bowl, Song dynasty (960-1279 CE), Jian kilns, Fujian province, China.

Hare’s fur glaze is produced through the use of different concentrations of iron-oxide, which crystallises during firing, producing reddish-brown splashes on a black ground

Yixing Teapot: Jiangsu Province, China, early 18th century. Yixing kilns are famous for their unglazed reddish and brownish teapots which have interesting textures as well as unusual and fanciful shapes, often embellished with incised, stamped or relief decoration

Teapot, Egawa collection, England, Worcester around 1765-75.

This teapot, made in England, is richly painted in an assortment of Japanese-style mosaic patterns and the base is marked with imitation Chinese characters to fool the buyers

The teapot, a vessel with a handle and a spout that steeps tea leaves in boiling water, was invented only during the late Yuan dynasty (1271-1368 CE). During this period under the Mongols, the production and preparation of tea underwent a complete change. Tea was no longer made in bricks, slabs or disks, but instead in rolled leaves by using pan firing. That improved the tea’s flavour while at the same time, the use of whole-leaf tea simplified the tea’s preparation. To prepare it, a small amount of rolled leaves were placed in a pot and boiling water was poured in to allow the leaves to steep for a few minutes, then the brewed tea was poured into tiny tea cups from a teapot, as we do today. This practice continued into the Ming dynasty to the extent that the first Ming emperor passed a decree forbidding his subjects from sending him tea tributes in compressed tea disks.

Loose-leaf tea predominated during the Ming and the teapot became the standard vessel. There were two basic styles of teapots. Those from Yixing were unglazed and crafted from brown or purple clay in simple shapes, keeping alive the Song aesthetic of austere simplicity and naturalism with a refined understatement that appealed to the literati.

In contrast, the imperial court and prosperous merchants favoured more polished blue and white porcelain.

Yixing teaware is prized because this unique clay is a miraculous material that becomes smooth and glossy, yet somewhat porous and when tea is dribbled on the surface it is quickly absorbed. If used regularly, a Yixing pot will eventually retain a fair amount of tea oil and develop a shiny patina so just adding hot water to an empty, seasoned pot will yield weak tea from the accumulated oils.

The Chinese tea culture was enthusiastically embraced by the nomadic Manchu who conquered China and established the Qing Empire (1644-1911 CE). The Manchus were accustomed to eating fatty meats and this hearty diet caused indigestion, so in winter the Qing rulers started drinking compressed pu’er tea from Yunnan because of its renowned digestive properties and ability to counteract the unpleasant effects of heavy alcohol consumption.

The first European references to tea appear in the 16th century.

Though the Portuguese had established a trading presence in Macao by 1557 CE, tea was of little interest. The Dutch East India Company brought the first cargo of Chinese green tea

to Europe in 1610 CE. By the 1660s, tea was established as an exotic drink with medicinal benefits among the wealthy in the Netherlands. This created demand for tea-sets, sugar bowls and other status-enhancing accessories. Tea eventually spread to France, Germany and Britain in the 17th century.

The growth in tea drinking led to increased demand for Chinese porcelain. Though fine porcelain made in China had long been admired in the West, it had not been a major trade item till tea drinking became popular. Tea and porcelain were a complementary cargo in a ship’s hold. Porcelain tea and dinner sets were heavy and thus made excellent ballast; they could be stacked around and under the tea chests, which also helped to keep them clear of the water in the ships’ bilges.

Initially an exotic fashion for those who could afford it, tea drinking had become quite common by the 18th century.

Delicate porcelain tea bowls and cups were imported from China in large quantities, along with tea, until a cheaper alternative source for teapots and wares came along in 1710 with the discovery of kaolinite clay in Europe and the establishment of the Meissen factory in Germany. By the 18th and 19th centuries large quantities of locally produced tea services brought an end to the centuries-long Chinese monopoly.

The tea-drinking world has come a long way from its obscure beginnings as a drink for ruling elites and monks in China, to a beverage consumed by ordinary people all across the world. So the next time you pour a cup of tea from your teapot, you will have a new appreciation of the remarkable journey the tea, the cup and the teapot have taken over the centuries to arrive together at your table.

Vidya Schalk has a doctorate in molecular biology and worked as a research scientist. She is currently an FOM docent and guides at NMS, STPI and ACM where she heads the special exhibitions and is co-head of the China Mania! research group. She also coordinates FOM’s new Outreach Programme at Gillman Barracks. She believes in being a lifelong learner.

Images courtesy of the Asian Civilisations Museum. Exhibits purchased with funds from the Shaw Foundation PASSAGE November / December 2014

13