From the perspective of people nowadays, it seems difficult to understand so many complicated tea sets for a cup of tea. But from the perspective of the ancients, it was the completion of certain etiquette, an inevitable process of drinking tea to perfection. The process of using utensils is also the process of enjoying soup making and making Chinese. In fact, the utensils used in modern cooking are more complicated than Lu Yu's twenty-four utensils, but they are only made by chefs and eaten by guests. The ancient Chinese tea people used this delicate description to describe the fun of self-frying and self-catering, and also expressed the practical spirit from it. Lu Yu explained at the time that the so-called "twenty-four must-have" refers to the official tea banquet. As for the friends of three or five years, they occasionally entertain themselves with tea.
The Song Dynasty no longer directly brewed tea, but used the tea-pointing method, so the utensils also changed accordingly. The tea art in the Song Dynasty embodies the influence of Neo-Confucianism, and even utensils are no exception. For example, the roasted tea roasting cage is called "Wei Hongyun". Since the Han Dynasty, Hong Yunsi has held court etiquette. In it. The wooden mallet of broken tea is called "wood waiter system"; the tea mill is called "Jin Fa Cao", Luo He is called "Luo Shumi", and the tea mill is called "stone transfer". Even the hand towels for wiping utensils are elegant The official title is called "Secretary of the Department". Regardless of whether the etiquette norms expressed by these names are conservative or progressive, the cultural connotation is clear at a glance. It can be seen that tea sets in ancient China were not complicated and complicated, but mainly expressed certain ideas. The full set of tea sets in the Song Dynasty was named after "Lu Yasheng", named "Mr. Dayuchuan". In view of this, it is rare to understand ancient tea wares only by using value. Today people visit Japanese tea ceremony performances and see a bunch of utensils such as square towels, water squares, small brushes, etc., without knowing their meaning. Needless to say, modern Chinese, even Japanese tea ceremonies, do not necessarily know the meaning of using these utensils. Therefore, it is only possible from a cultural perspective to make a reasonable explanation.
Ming and Qing waste tea, loose tea, the cooking process is simplified, and even directly brewing method, so tea cooking utensils are also simplified. But simplification does not mean rough manufacturing, especially the requirements for pots and bowls, which are more exquisite and chic, with various novel shapes. Since Chinese porcelain had a high degree of development in the Ming Dynasty, the pots were not only beautiful in shape, but also more elegant in color, texture, glaze and kiln quality, and tea utensils developed in a simple and refined direction. Pots and bowls have exhibited treasures in all dynasties, such as Ming Dynasty Yide Ruby, Blue and White, Chenghua Blue and White, Dou Cai, etc. are all excellent tea sets. The shape of the pot is also varied. There are various shapes such as lifting beam, handle, long body and flat body. Most of the patterns are flowers and birds. People's landscapes are also colorful. The tea bowls of the Tang Dynasty in China are simple and ancient, and due to the emergence of bucket tea in the Song Dynasty, the quality of the tea flowers is higher and lower. The color of the bowl and the tea are in harmony or in sharp contrast, so the color of the heavy porcelain is. After the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the types of tea are increasing. Tea soups vary in color, the pots are convenient, classic, or simple, clever, and the bowls are full of flowers. Therefore, it is not difficult to form a large-scale exhibition only in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Qing Dynasty capital teachers have their own unique and elegant tea set. Everyone in the old Beijing, nobles, royal courts, and even many high-end teahouses in the future, re-bowl tea. This type of tea cup has three pieces, with a lower support, a bowl in the middle, and a lid on the top. Gaiwancha is also called "Sancai bowl". The three talents are heaven, earth, and people. The tea is covered on the top, which is called "the sky", the tea tray is on the bottom, which is called the "ground", and the tea bowl is centered, which is "human". A set of tea set is housed in a small world, a small universe, containing the philosophy of the ancient philosophers that "the sky is covered, the ground is carried, and the people are educated."
The origin of the tea in the bowl is inconclusive. The tea tray is also called "tea boat". According to legend, it was made by the daughter of Cui Ning, the envoy of the Xichuan Festival in the Tang Dynasty. It was originally a wooden tray, and later made of lacquer. However, from the perspective of archaeological excavations, the appearance of tea saucers must have been earlier, so Cui Ning's story of creating a tea boat can only be viewed as a legend. Yi bowl tea has many patterns, often painted landscape flowers and birds, more celebrity handwriting. A fire avoidance map is also drawn in the bowl. Some are in twelve styles together with tea trays; some are in twelve bowls and twelve trays, in twenty-four styles for tea parties. The Qinghua tea tray has a variety of patterns, such as round, lotus leaf, and ingot shape. The climate in Beijing is high and cold, and the tea set is mainly used for heat preservation, so the bowl of tea set is popular for a while, and this wind affects all places together. Especially in Sichuan and other places, the streets and alleys, all tea houses are equipped with bowls of tea, so far the characteristics have not diminished.
After the Ming and Qing Dynasties, tea sets were not only practical, but also very elegant crafts. Many families like to set up a set of exquisite tea sets, guests are welcome to make a pot of good tea, and share cups of tea, which is not only family and friends, but also art display appreciation . It can be said that Chinese tea art views have reached thousands of households.
Chinese porcelain has always been well-known in the world, drinking Chinese tea and using Chinese tea set is perfect. The combination of tea and tea set has promoted the outward expansion of Chinese tea culture. Since the Ming dynasty, tea and porcelain have been the bulk of my country's export trade, especially in modern times. Until modern times, Chinese tea sets are still treasured by all countries in the world. Today's Southeast Asian countries are obviously tea sets made by themselves, but they are advertised as "Chinese porcelain" to increase their value. Little tea sets have played an important role in promoting cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries.