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Does anyone know the story behind why there is a connection? I've heard a lot of "just-so" stories, such as that Thailand preferred burnished Yixing, and that the Yixing teapots with metal rims, etc. often ended up there because teasets with precious metal in them were not considered sophisticated, as they showed that the owner did not understand Chinese elemental theory. (No clue if either of these stories are true.)

I rarely hear anything that explains why Yixing teapots would be going to Thailand in the first place, though; does anyone know?

mbanu wrote: ↑

Mon May 25, 2020 5:45 pm

Does anyone know the story behind why there is a connection? I've heard a lot of "just-so" stories, such as that Thailand preferred burnished Yixing, and that the Yixing teapots with metal rims, etc. often ended up there because teasets with precious metal in them were not considered sophisticated, as they showed that the owner did not understand Chinese elemental theory. (No clue if either of these stories are true.)

I rarely hear anything that explains why Yixing teapots would be going to Thailand in the first place, though; does anyone know?

I'm half joking, half not, but the simple reason that they wanted them probably. There was a market for them there. Disclaimer that I don't know the slightest bit about Thai or Thai tea drinking history, but I would guess that there were Chinese immigrants who drank tea and they were possibly the ones driving the demand?

Idk about the polished look or metal decorations, maybe that was just the preferred aesthetic in Thai culture (why, I don't know).

Hopefully someone more knowledgeable can confirm, or correct my theory.

Yes, polished look, gold, silver, copper, emerald are the preferred aesthetics in Thailand esp way back when

Chadrinkincat wrote: ↑

Mon May 25, 2020 5:48 pm

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_Ch ... mographics

There you go

If I’m not wrong, they vast majority was ordered for the Thai Royal Court. But maybe someone else has more details and sources.

A bit on Thai tea drinking history.
I don’t think pure tea was ever a popular beverage in Siam (or thailand for that matter.) Perhaps consumed as food among the northern hill tribes, or maybe by the Lanna people.

From a book I happened to have at hand (pardon my poor and loose translaion):

“During the reign of King Narai (16xx), it was recorded that the Siamese would take tea with rock sugar. That is, they would chew on the sugar while sipping tea. Not all Siamese drank tea, only the upper class and Buddhist monks did. Even then, it was not consumed often, as the Siamese preferred cold, rain water.”

My guess is that the demand for the glammed up yixing teaware was just for the sake of collecting import products (for display, display of wealth, curiosity, etc., and maybe occasionally for making tea). Yixing potters likely produced the styles that would sell well for a given market.