Japanese Tea Set - About

Tea was a drink from China. It was 'invented' in 200 B.C. and only after 900 years it came to Japan. Since then a traditional Japanese Tea Pot became symbol and Tea ceremonies became a part of culture. Once Japan adopted tea as their drink, it became the tradition and it continues until this day.

The folowing is from this article
The Japanese word for teapot is dobin. The oldest dobin designs on record featured globe-like bodies accented with disk-shaped lids and sturdy handles. A knob attached to the lid gave the water-pourer access to the interior. Some pots were designed with two handles. These are called kyusu and originated in a pottery-making region south of Nagoya. To set this area's teapot styles apart from other regions, the pots were finished with a red burnish to identify their place of origin.

Japanese Tea Ceremony (Video)

Very interesting video viewing Traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony. Wich you can learn from. Hope you like it even though its not mine :)

Wabi and Sabi in the Tea Ceremony

Evidently, beauty does not necessarily spell perfection of form. This has been one of the favorite tricks of Japanese artists—to embody beauty in a form of imperfection or even of ugliness. 

 When this beauty of imperfection is accompanied by antiquity or primitive uncouthness, we have a glimpse of sabi, so prized by Japanese connoisseurs. Antiquity and primitiveness may not be an actuality. If an object of art suggests even superficially the feeling of a historical period, there is sabi in it. Sabi consists in rustic unpretentiousness or archaic imperfection, apparent simplicity or effortlessness in execution, and richness in historical associations (which, however, may not always be present); and, lastly, it contains inexplicable elements that raise the object in question to the rank of an artistic production. These elements are generally regarded as derived from the appreciation of Zen. The utensils used in the tearoom are mostly of this nature. [Zen and Japanese Culture, 24] Wabi or sabi, therefore, may be defined as an active aesthetical appreciation of poverty; when it is used as a constituent of the tea, it is the creating or remodeling of an environment in such a way as to awaken the feeling of wabi or sabi. Nowadays, as these terms are used, we may say that sabi applies more to the individual objects and environment generally, and wabi to the living of a life ordinarily associated with poverty or insufficiency or imperfection. Sabi is thus more objective, whereas wabi is more subjective and personal.

P.S. The painting is not mine. But it is very delicate and i like it.

Japanese tea ceremonies

The folowing is from wikipedia:

The Japanese tea ceremony, also called the Way of Tea, is a Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha, powdered green tea. In Japanese, it is called chanoyu (茶の湯) or chadō (茶道; also pronounced sadō?). The manner in which it is performed, or the art of its performance, is called temae (点前?). Zen Buddhism was a primary influence in the development of the tea ceremony.

Tea gatherings are classified as chakai (茶会?) or chaji (茶事?). Chakai is a relatively simple course of hospitality that includes the service of confections, thin tea (薄茶 usucha?), and perhaps a light meal (点心 tenshin?). Chaji is a more formal gathering, usually with a full-course meal (kaiseki), followed by confections, thick tea (濃茶 koicha?), and thin tea. A chaji may last up to four hours.

So as we see, it is vital part of Japanese history, traditions and culture. Its a quiet and peaceful ritual. Its very often in Japan when accepting guests, waiting their arrival, preparing the tea. 

Tea is very important also. In different situations- different tea is served. As long as there were Japanese tea sets, there were tea :-). 

Japanese Tea Set

Tea sets from Japan are very high quality and well made by the professionals. Because tea ceremonies in Japan are very important and valuable. It was practiced for centuries and it shows the long tradition of making high quality tea.

Nowadays people from all the world can entertain visitors or just drink tea by themselves with a joy that Japanese traditional tea sets give them. It is the perfect way of feeling what is Japanese culture like and what strong traditions are behind it.

Even in world-famous Japanese animation, also called as Anime Japanese tea ceremonies are shown often because it is just inseparable from all Japanese culture including animation.