Silver teaware

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mbanu
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Tue Jun 09, 2020 12:33 am

It looks like Kit Chow and Ione Kramer mention Yixing as reactionary in their book, All The Tea In China, where they say, "The pots were soon taken up particularly by the officials and literati. This was probably a gesture to set themselves apart from the court, which used fine porcelain, and the vulgar rich, who displayed their wealth in gold and silver pots. With starkly simple lines that brought out the beauty of the material, or with a minimum of tasteful decoration, the pots made a statement on what their users regarded as the spirit of tea."

I'll see if I can find any others.
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Bok
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Tue Jun 09, 2020 1:09 am

mbanu wrote:
Tue Jun 09, 2020 12:33 am
It looks like Kit Chow and Ione Kramer mention Yixing as reactionary in their book, All The Tea In China, where they say, "The pots were soon taken up particularly by the officials and literati. This was probably a gesture to set themselves apart from the court, which used fine porcelain, and the vulgar rich, who displayed their wealth in gold and silver pots. With starkly simple lines that brought out the beauty of the material, or with a minimum of tasteful decoration, the pots made a statement on what their users regarded as the spirit of tea."

I'll see if I can find any others.
I somehow doubt that what they say is true. Yixing has been held in high esteem at the emperor's court, look at the beautiful Kangxi and Qianlong pieces... Gongju exported to the royal court in Thailand, etc. Yixing was always a luxury items, expensive and for the chose few. That is why in Chaozhou they developed their own pottery, something affordably to make tea with. It is also probably a bit over-romantic to suggest that they did so in search of the spirit of tea. Maybe some, but having tea has been a status symbol in itself. Only those who have time and money could have tea. I mean they had servants to fan the fire and help with other tasks...
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TeaTotaling
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Tue Jun 09, 2020 11:12 am

aet wrote:
Tue Jun 09, 2020 12:04 am
TeaTotaling wrote:
Mon Jun 08, 2020 2:19 pm
I am not interested in a teapot, but rather a kettle only.
what is your budged ?
Thank you for responding!

I already have one picked out, I was just looking for a little insight from those who are familiar with using a silver kettle? Do you have, and use one ever?

Thanks again!
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TeaTotaling
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Tue Jun 09, 2020 11:34 am

mbanu wrote:
Tue Jun 09, 2020 12:08 am
I first heard about the elemental theory belief from the blog of Imperial Tea Court, Roy Fong's teahouse: http://blog.imperialtea.com/2009/10/bre ... ilver.html

John Blofeld briefly mentioned this in his 1985 book The Chinese Art of Tea:

"The preference of T'ang aristocrats for gold and silver tea-things was deplored by later generations of Tea Masters, who were in general opposed to more than a minimal use of metal tea accessories. However, exceptions were commonly made (though rarely for teapots) in the case of either non-corrosive or enamelled metals. Both silver or porcelain spoons for transferring the leaves from caddy to teapot were widely used. Kettles were often of bronze. (One can still buy inexpensive Tibetan bronze or copper kettles that resemble antique Chinese counterparts in New Delhi and Nepal, but these particular metals need to be kept in a permanent state of cleanliness, which is not always a simple matter if we bar the use of soap and detergents.)"

I would have to do a bit of digging to find a source for Yixing teapots as a reaction against porcelain, although Blofeld mentions this being a trend influenced by Chen Mansheng (陳曼生/陳鴻壽) a member of the literati with a government job in Yixing who started the trend of plain earthenware teapots carved with lines of poetry rather than being heavily decorated. I don't think this was the original, though.
In contrast, Lu Yu discussed the value of a silver kettle in producing the purest tea. Describing it as the ideal companion for constant, lifelong use. Adding a high quality metal, like silver, can be beneficial to the overall alchemy of brewing tea. Ideally, including all five elements to yield the best cup of tea possible. Quality is paramount. From my best research, the Japanese were masters at forging silver, making a Japanese Silver Kettle an ideal choice.
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TeaTotaling
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Tue Jun 09, 2020 12:29 pm

BTW I was able to find @Brent D's silver teapot review. I am becoming a little more familiar with navigating the forum, trial and error...learning through experience on all fronts. Sometimes you just have to take matters into your own hands, and experience things for yourself. “Repetition is the mother of learning, the father of action, which makes it the architect of accomplishment.” -Ziglar
.m.
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Tue Jun 09, 2020 4:16 pm

TeaTotaling wrote:
Tue Jun 09, 2020 11:34 am
In contrast, Lu Yu discussed the value of a silver kettle in producing the purest tea. Describing it as the ideal companion for constant, lifelong use.
Didn't he also say that silver cauldron was way too "luxuriously extravagant"? :lol:
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Bok
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Tue Jun 09, 2020 7:52 pm

@TeaTotaling Quoting or taking Lu Yu’s writings as anything but anecdotal advice is tricky... at the time he was writing it tea and it’s preparation was still a long long way from what it became during Qing dynasty and later. No point trying to adapt to his theories.

Other than that, silver is not always a good choice for tea making. If the tea is not of the highest standards it can make good tea taste downright awful. In my experience a cast iron Tetsubin is a much better investment for tea making. Clay can be so so as well, depending on the tea and clay. Haven’t had any downturn with Tetsubin yet.
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TeaTotaling
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Tue Jun 09, 2020 9:12 pm

.m. wrote:
Tue Jun 09, 2020 4:16 pm
TeaTotaling wrote:
Tue Jun 09, 2020 11:34 am
In contrast, Lu Yu discussed the value of a silver kettle in producing the purest tea. Describing it as the ideal companion for constant, lifelong use.
Didn't he also say that silver cauldron was way too "luxuriously extravagant"? :lol:
I believe he said it's, "somewhat", extravagant. He also mentions when purity is desired, silver is the go-to. Makes perfect sense to me based on silver's natural characteristics.
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TeaTotaling
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Tue Jun 09, 2020 9:45 pm

Bok wrote:
Tue Jun 09, 2020 7:52 pm
TeaTotaling Quoting or taking Lu Yu’s writings as anything but anecdotal advice is tricky... at the time he was writing it tea and it’s preparation was still a long long way from what it became during Qing dynasty and later. No point trying to adapt to his theories.

Other than that, silver is not always a good choice for tea making. If the tea is not of the highest standards it can make good tea taste downright awful. In my experience a cast iron Tetsubin is a much better investment for tea making. Clay can be so so as well, depending on the tea and clay. Haven’t had any downturn with Tetsubin yet.
Thank you for the insight @Bok. I don't necessarily hold his theories as the undisputed truth. I adhere to thinking in accordance with truth, logic, and common sense. In theory, his brief synopsis of silver seemed logical to me. I suppose you live and learn. I have considered one of each, but again, I feel a Tetsubin would truly benefit from charcoal, whereas infrared seems suitable for silver. Heck, I might have to set up shop for charcoal in the warmer months, certainly not off the table. I guess you don't know until you try, and if you try, don't compromise.

Currently the Zini Kettle I'm working with is proving it's worth, no doubt. Nice clay, nice water, nice tea. Brews are turning out thick and super smooth, really adding a positive new dimension to the final outcome. Based on my thoughtful research, and the general consensus, an antique Japanese Silver Kettle seems like a valuable addition to the lineup. I would like an improvement to the medical grade Stainless Steel I'm currently working with. Like my other selections, silver seems like a lifelong kettle companion, it's all in the alchemy.
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mbanu
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Mon Jun 15, 2020 5:46 pm

Bok wrote:
Tue Jun 09, 2020 1:09 am
mbanu wrote:
Tue Jun 09, 2020 12:33 am
It looks like Kit Chow and Ione Kramer mention Yixing as reactionary in their book, All The Tea In China, where they say, "The pots were soon taken up particularly by the officials and literati. This was probably a gesture to set themselves apart from the court, which used fine porcelain, and the vulgar rich, who displayed their wealth in gold and silver pots. With starkly simple lines that brought out the beauty of the material, or with a minimum of tasteful decoration, the pots made a statement on what their users regarded as the spirit of tea."

I'll see if I can find any others.
I somehow doubt that what they say is true. Yixing has been held in high esteem at the emperor's court, look at the beautiful Kangxi and Qianlong pieces... Gongju exported to the royal court in Thailand, etc. Yixing was always a luxury items, expensive and for the chose few. That is why in Chaozhou they developed their own pottery, something affordably to make tea with. It is also probably a bit over-romantic to suggest that they did so in search of the spirit of tea. Maybe some, but having tea has been a status symbol in itself. Only those who have time and money could have tea. I mean they had servants to fan the fire and help with other tasks...
Not sure if it helps, but I have found another mention, in Yixing Pottery by Chunfang Pan, who said, "The move toward simplicity also lead to the decline of teapots made with precious metals, once common among the nobility. As a result Yixing ware became increasingly popular. The reason for such popularity of Yixing teapots coincided with the move toward a simple, aesthetically pleasing way of enjoying tea: Yixing ware was unglazed and uncolored, and consequently it could best capture the real color and fragrance of tea, and this feature echoed the aesthetic affections of scholars at that time."

I suspect that affections here means affectations. :) You are correct in that drinking tea out of a simple teapot did not make the drinker any less a member of the gentry, even if they themselves felt that it did.
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