Zisha teapot -- Tea Tasting House

Author: Read Pictures Era Editorial
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: The Zisha teapot plays a significant role in the traditional Chinese cultural system. It can be said that the history of using Zisha teapots is the process by which the Chinese have turned life into an art. Unlike other artworks that are merely for viewing, the Zisha teapot must be used. Therefore, considerations of its practicality may surpass any evaluation of practicality for other artworks. "Use" gives static objects a dynamic life. Picking up a teapot, placing tea leaves, pouring water, and offering a cup of good tea to oneself and family or friends, until cleaning the teapot, stroking, wiping, and storing it—through this process, subtle feelings gradually accumulate in the senses and spirit. The shape, decoration, clay quality, and subtle changes in the teapot's texture after long-term brewing are all understood intuitively by the user. Learning to appreciate and discern Zisha teapots requires long-term use and the accumulation of knowledge. Therefore, starting from the most basic point—making a good cup of tea with a Zisha teapot, gradually understanding the benefits of using it, and distinguishing between good and inferior teapots, revealing individuality, and finding fine works among a variety of teapots—develops the discernment of appreciation. Then, collecting one's beloved artistic treasures becomes an eventual goal.