TEA POT HAS SO MUCH TO TELL

Very happy day to loving readers and visitors,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The photos above are taken, at different angles, with the intention to enable you to scrutinize it if you wish to. You may click at the respective photo to enlarge it. Each and every of them reflects the different type of zisha ("purple" clay) , shape, color and its craftsmanship. Proper scrutiny of each of them will reveal the maker's competency skills, talent and creativity - that will give you a real sensation and adoration. No surprise to me that some collectors willingly to offer high prices for the pieces they desired.


One noticeable fact of zisha is its' unique characteristics. Its' porous nature enables the teapot to absorb the essence of tea well.  As the teapot becomes seasoned, especially when nurtured over time, the essence of tea captured by the teapot will accentuate the character of subsequent brews. Drinkers will enjoy having different taste from each brew - that's the natural beauty of it - which you may find similar effects in other materials.


Apart from the above, Zisha has all other characteristics as follow:

• It remains highly porous even after being fired at temperatures of exceeding 1000˚C. However, if it were fired at compromised lower temperatures, it will then produce lower quality teapots that emit the taste and smell of clay into the brew.
• It is also able to hold water without seepage.
• It is structurally strong for its function and glazing is not needed ( I will tell you at a later stage).
• It is able to sustain sudden and big temperature change.
• It offers an excellent balance between flexibility and firmness (due to its high iron content). After dying, it will shrink nominally.
• The flexibility of the clay allows the tea pot be easily crafted into attractive shapes and designs.

Now, you know why the zisha teapots play a central role in the art of Chinese tea. This is so important that lots of makers spend times to produce variety of distinctive shape with different themes and crafted beautifully.




Most of the tea lovers prefer the unglazed clay ones, not only because it has a wonderful effect on the Chinese tea, but they will nurture the tea pot to naturally glaze by pouring hot tea on its surface during their tea sessions. This glazing effect will gradually take effect over a certain period of times. By then, the pot will fetch a much higher price compared with its original position especially among collectors.




However, most of these tea pot makers seldom neglect its primary functional role. The bottom line of these tea pots makers is to deliver good quality tea in term of aroma and taste of the respective tea leaves. Well designed tea pots will not only enable you to pour out the tea smoothly well from the pot, but also enable you to do so even at varying speeds and angles of your pour. That's mean no tea should drip down from other parts than its spout. As such, it is also not wrong to say that the teapot is a product of the applied art.




Lately, there has been an huge increase in demand of such zisha teapots. As a result, the prices have increased tremendously from a few dollars to thousands for a single pot. It goes without saying, its quality has also improved to match its price. Better quality control have been put in place at every level of processes and those do meet the quality will then be rejected and smashed immediately after they were taken out from the kiln.


Thanks for taking your precious time to read this article and trust it is worth more than your time spent.




Please feel free to pass off this blog to your circle of friends who are pursuing of brewing a good tea. Do share with me your experience either through email or comment, I am more than happy to learn from you.




Stay tuned and look forward to hearing from you,




James Oh

HELP ME TO FIND ITS ' SIBLINGS'

Very happy day to everyone of you,

Hope you find this article well and in high spirit.

The above tea pot has been displayed in my display cabinet since many years ago. All of a sudden, I felt its loneliness and recalled its long old story. At the same time I had the idea of putting its story into journal, before it perishes from my memory.

The story becomes vivid in my mind as how it came to my collection. I remember its glory days when it and 7 other 'siblings', formed a complete set. The 'family' was displayed, proudly and elegantly, at one of the tea shops in Kuala Lumpur for many years before I bought it from that merchant. At that time i just started this hobby, I found this piece the most pleasing to my eyes, as compared to some of the recommended ones from my sister's old neighbor. I had just hopped in that tea shop with some of my friends and I met my sister's neighbor there. This was the shop, he used to patronize and he was having tea with his circle of friends. The reason he recommended the remaining pieces to me because the merchant no longer wanted to keep them in his collection as one of the piece was damaged. As a result, he was clearing the remaining units at bargain price.

Since then it has stood lonely at my displaying cabinet and I have decided to blog it with the intention to locate the remaining 7 'siblings' to make up the complete set. Who knows, I may be able to acquire the rest, even if is at a piece at a time. Alternatively, I may dispose it to the other collector who is short of my tea pot to make up a complete set.

To identify the remaining pieces, I attach the photos below so as for you to identify them with ease.

 

 

Appreciate if you could join force with me to take up this challenge. So, please drop me an email or through comment should you come across the rest of them which I am looking for. Thank you in advance.

Let us have some fun in searching,

James Oh

TEA IS MORE THAN A DRINK

Happy day to all my dearest friends.

Is the above statement true?  To answer it, let us go through the following discussion.


It is an undeniable fact that it is a commodity that is widely traded internationally.


It was used as currency at one time. Today, it is also widely used as a investment tool, like wine, to curb inflation. Tea is second most widely consumed beverage worldwide after water.


Brewing good quality tea requires more than knowledge. It needs skills, patience and meticulous. Everything counts here - be it the process, the quality of tea, the type of water used, utensils, tea pot, cups and many others. So, in order to acquire and master that skill, you need to posses all the above.


"Cha Toa" or rule of tea, inherited from centuries, is still practiced so as to obtain the best out of that particular tea in terms of its fragrance, taste, medicinal value and other benefits. To achieve the best, each and every unwritten rules pertaining to its brewing process need to be observed.


Tea can also be used to destress yourself from work, that is why some people have tea sets readily at their offices.  At the same time, they use it to serve tea to their guests. It is commonly practiced in China and other parts of the world where tea is a popular beverage. To them, taking out some time to sip their favorite tea will give them real relaxation to relieve their minds and souls.


Of course, if time permit, you can even have grand tea ceremony ( Kung Fu tea ceremony) whereby you  demonstrate your martial art skills in preparing the tea. Here, you will not only use all the utensils - which are normally beautifully crafted; prefaced with poems, animals, heroes, values and principles; which are so pleasing to your eyes, minds and souls, but also serve as collectors items. These utensils and other tea accessories of various sizes, shapes and colors made of various type of materials are also be used to serve different types of tea accordingly to its characteristics in term of its nature, size, shape and purpose. As a whole, you will see lots of creative works; the practicability,values and uniqueness of each and every utensil. They are either hand or machine made. These master pieces especially those hand crafted ones are valued very much by its collectors for their rarity and antiquity.


Ambience may also play a significant part if one desires to have the best out of tea. Some may choose to have it at a cool, quiet place where you can find lots of greenery. While others may choose to have it at the hilltop where they can hear the bird singing and water gushing down. Of course this is very idealistic and not everyone may have the time and affinity to be close to nature. Actually to enjoy tea, one can have it in one's own home.  Should one can afford it, one can drink tea with one's friends/family in one's beautifully landscaped garden and the Japanese carp swiming gracefully in the pond. However, if one cannot afford it, one can just set aside a small corner in one's home for this healthy practice.


The topic of tea can also used as conversation piece among your circle of friends who share this common interest. New ideas, knowledge and new methods of concocting tea as well as the introduction of tea in cooking can be shared. This in turn will foster their frealtionship and divert their attention from gossiping which is not beneficial to everyone.


Apart from this, it is common to see business deals being concluded during the tea session. I would be happy if anyone is willing to share with me their personal experiences/discoveries during their participation in such sessions. Thank you in advance and look forward to hearing from you.


The side effect of tea is that it contains caffeine. However, in ancient days, tea was only affordable to the scholars and high officials of China. Fortunately, today, tea is easily accessible to all levels of society since it is now more affordable as it is being cultivated on a larger scale.


Now, you can see why I have my own personal tea corner, decorated with articles mentioned above.


Thanks for your time and trust it will also lead you to the path of staying healthy, as I do.

Cheers and have a lovely healthy day everyday.

James Oh