July 17, 2010

For a culture which has created an art of brewing, sipping plus serving tea, it was inevitable that Japan would even become a nation of people fascinated by the beauty of the pot in that it’s served. Despite not being the innovator of tea drinking (the honor goes to China), once Japan adopted the drink as its own, a exceptional history of teapot style was launched which continues to this day. Epicenters of teapot design and production grew because the drink became the nation’s most well-liked beverage plus eventually, teapots became status symbols. These days, antique Japanese teapots are prized collectibles| much more suited to show on a secure shelf than as a repository of boiling water and tea leaves.  Discover more about china tea set here.

The tradition of tea preparation plus consumption began in China around 200 B.C. It took over 900 years for the drink to travel to Japan. Had a book regarding the magic of tea not found its way into the hands of Zen Buddhist missionaries, tea may never had been introduced to Japanese culture. Like nearly all innovations from different lands, tea drinking didn’t become well-liked overnight. It took the Imperial Japanese court’s fascination with Chinese tea ceremonies to ignite the imagination of society. Before long| tea took on a position of prominence in Japanese culture. So, too did teapot design plus manufacture.  

The Japanese word for teapot is dobin. The oldest dobin designs on record featured globe-like bodies accented with disk-formed lids and durable handles. A knob attached to the lid gave the water-pourer access to the interior. Several pots were designed with two handles. These are known as kyusu and originated within a pottery-producing region south of Nagoya. To set this area’s teapot styles other than other regions, the pots were finished with a red burnish to identify their place of origin.  

Different regions of Japan became inventive centers for teapot design. Japan was home to a wealthy variety of clays plus native studios began applying designs well-liked in their regions to establish distinct designs| color variations| incised and excised options| unusual handles plus elaborations unique to the area. One type of favored dobin used only [to make] green tea was made from heavily glazed white ceramic materials that, over time, changed the colour of the pot to a bright green. Pots were made of materials that conducted heat so well| they could be held with the bare hands. Others were crafted to look plus feel delicate and fragile| so that cloths plus alternative protection were needed to hold them.