Japanese Teapots

Japanese teapots

Introduction

In Japan , the focus on tea and its culture are centered on the procedures of Chanoyu , the Japanese tea ceremony . The central idea of the Chanoyu is to bring peace , serenity and harmony to the souls of its participants . It helps them to forget about their worries , problems and other worldly affairs for some time and to feel the inextricable connection with the world around

The equipment of the tea ceremony plays a significant role in the process . It is finely made and decorated for the guests to

feel the atmosphere of the sacrament . The tiny cups , ladles and teapots speak of the wealth of the ceremony host

History

It is known that the Tetsubin , which is another name for Japanese teapot , was first used in the middle of the 17th century in Japan . The tea ceremony itself appeared much earlier , created by the Zen Buddhist monks in the 14th century and developed by the Sen No Rikkyu in the 16th , but it was used primary by the wealthy and educated people . A new type of tea called Sencha was introduced in the 17th century . Before that time Japanese drank Matcha , which came in the form of the powder It was brewed in the cup . Sencha , the tea that consisted of the tealeaves instead of the powder soon became popular among the ordinary folk . Drinking it was not considered a formal ceremony but presented tea as a drink that was closely associated with medicinal herbs . Most people adopted Sencha drinking as a symbolic revolt against the formality of Chanoyu , which was favored by the ruling class

During the 18th century drinking Sencha became more and more popular among the townsfolk and a need in the equipment for tea drinking appeared . People who weren 't rich couldn 't afford to buy the Chinese tea utensils used in Sencha as they were too expensive and rare to find . So a necessity appeared in the new Japanese style teapot to replace the expensive Chinese . It was fulfilled by the creation of the Tetsubin . The author of the article Tetsubin , found at the More organic website says

It is thought that these teapots were crafted in the likeness of kettles that were all ready in use the most common was called Yakkan . The Yakkan was crafted in copper . Tea enthusiast believed that tea brewed in an iron kettle was much more desirable . Through this century Tetsubin was a common household necessity . In the 19th century the teapot became more of a status symbol . Pots became more elaborate and intricate in design and reflected the class , real or desired , of its owner . Elaborate Tetsubin became thought of as works of art

That 's why the teapots became more and more elaborated , in a great variety of the shapes , sizes and colors . They were sometimes decorated by the unique ornaments and their prices were really high . The design of the Tetsubin , which represent the important aspect of the Japanese history and culture , are...