TeaChat

I just had my first teaware loss. A fine summer chawan, full of character.



I find myself for the first time in my life grieving for clay pieces.
Does anyone experience such heartbreaking feel when a piece accidentally slip from your hands and meet the hard floor fate?
What are the proper procedures for a broken chawan? Do i wrap in the cloth it came with and place in the signed box? Does a shoebox is acceptable in case the chawan didnt come with a box? Do I sprinkle matcha over it in the final goodbye to the trash can?
How long do I wait to buy a new one?
I cant help but wonder if all the tea i've been drinking is starting to affect me in unusual ways.

Even though I didn't break a Chawan, I've broken a really nice yixing teapot. I knocked it over and the handle broke off. I tried to fix it with epoxy, but it didn't work out, which only made me sadder. I put it into a small shoebox and stuck it in some hidden corner. Looking at it again would make me sad, and throwing it out would make me feel awful, since it would be like throwing away a priceless artifact.

We should have a Thread for loss Teaware and broken hearts?

Like the island of misfit toys

I broke my first Hagi piece as it slipped from my hands onto the floor at work.
I will never forget the exact sound it made. Sometimes when I am there at that sink, I remember the sound so vividly. It makes me be extra careful now.

Sorry for your loss.

I broke my favorite chawan a couple of months ago. I still want to have it repaired. Heartbreaking? Yeah, I'll cop to that. Some tea items I like, but wouldn't be overly upset if they were broken or gone, other than the monetary loss it represents. But some teaware become like old friends, especially pieces with long history, or those that are handmade.

I broke a very nice green small yixing pot with hyeroglyphs design (many small hieroglyphs all over the surface). At least it was cheap, around $30. I think I'd buy it again if I saw it.....

TIM wrote:We should have a Thread for loss Teaware and broken hearts?

Great idea, Tim.
I have broken both of the tops for my Lin's ceramic kettles. I am learning not to use my good tea ware before my morning caffeine!

I shattered the lid on my favorite glass pot shortly after shattering the saucer from a nice glass gaiwan. The gaiwan, though still usable, gets way too hot to hold it easily the three finger method. I have vowed to never get any other glass tea ware. They weren't favorites, but they were well used so they were both sad occurrences.

Very sorry for your loss.

Last night I caught myself shaking the last drops of water out of my new and amazing yunomi after rinsing it, and literally said out loud, "What the hell am I doing?!?" Could have been a disaster. I guess I'm just not used to having a cup that is handmade and irreplaceable.

I recently dropped the lid to a glass teapot from Rishi that I was using for oolongs. I decided to upgrade to an actual gaiwan which you can see in the "my first gaiwan" thread. Two days ago I was using my new gaiwan and i'm not sure how it happened but one of the teacups slipped off the table. I managed to use some cat like reflexes out of no where and grab the cup right out of thin air. I stood still for about a minute in awe of how lucky I was to have caught it and how upset I would be if I broke that teacup within the first week of owning it. Other than that, nothing major for me yet. *knocks on desk*

We should have such a thread here at TC. In same cases, it's instructional - you get to see a wall cross-section of yixing-ware, for example. In others, you get ideas for what to do with beloved teaware that is no longer functional, but has sentimental value - make it into art for your tearoom or kitchen (see the teadrunk thread for a nice example).

If you wanted to be creative, the broken bits of ceramic or porcelain can be made into trivets or even jewelry (there are companies that specialize in this art, you can find them on the web).

Sorry for your loss. I too have also lost a couple of pieces. An antique mikasa cup and a custom fred parker. Like i've said, its almost like having you're heart broken. Especially with the fred parker.

Just tonight I accidentally knocked the infuser cup I used for all my herbals and rooibos off my desk and onto my hardwood floor. Needless to say, it's a goner. It was this one: http://www.amazon.com/Curve-Asian-Style ... 573&sr=1-6

Needless to say, it's not a fancy kyusu or chawan, but I used it often for all of my rooibos and peppermint tisanes. I felt defeated as I watched it crack in two.

Edit: Just realized I sound like a broken record ("needless to say... needless to say..."). There should be a warning against posting at 3am.