Apr 2nd, '11, 19:05
Posts: 107
Joined: Feb 15th, '11, 18:34
Scrolling: scrolling
Contact:
jaderabbit
teaware history?
As I was contemplating which tea implements to buy next...I got to wondering...when did the Chinese start using teapots to brew tea? When and why did gaiwan become so popular? And how did they brew tea before either were invented? Anybody know or can point me to brief book on the subject?
Re: teaware history?
Teapots. Neolithic period. Back in those ancient times the Big Dipper was the original source of Yi for the I-Ching (Yijing) title. When examining the ancient Chinese character for Yi, the pattern of the character looks like a cup holding water or grain or a dipper pouring out water or grain:
Ancient Chinese named a cup or dipper "Dou", the name of the Big Dipper constellation. Secondly, when reading the I-Ching one of the rethorical structures for explaining the meaning of each hexagram is to begin with "Tuan Yue." Tuan means "boar" or "pig." Archaeologist scholars have proved that a symbol for a boar or pig stands for the Big Dipper in ancient China. Yue means say or speak; hence Tuan Yue means "Boar says"or "Big Dipper indicates."
The Big Dipper is the heart of the celestial word since it acts as a collecting vessel of the cosmic Qi generated by Polaris, the north star, according the to Chinese shamanic tradition.
Ancient Chinese astronomers called this constellation the "Jade Balance of Fate." It is in charge of the human being's karma and life force. Considered a trigger for natural phenomena occuring in the universe, it is responsible for the unleashing of natural disasters and the releasing of disease. Accordingly, it has the function of governing the universal laws of the four seasons. It is thought to govern the general balance of Yin and Yang in the universe. The Big Dipper patterns the Yin-Yang movement of the Dao, which indicates the change of nature.(1)
The ancient Chinese placed such significance to this constellation that early pottery was represented by depicting the Big Dipper using the symbol of the boar or pig:
Clay vessel decorated with a pig on each side discovered in Zhejiang province, circa 7,000 years ago.
Pig-shaped teapot (about 6,300 BC). Excavated from a Dawenkou Culture site in Taian City, Shandong Province, in 1959, this red pottery teapot, 21.6 cm high is in the shape of a pig, with its mouth open begging for food, and an upturn tail.
1. Zhongxian Wu (2009). Seeking the Spirit of the Book of Change: 8 Days to Mastering a Shamanic Yijing (I Ching) Prediction System. London: Singing Dragon. 232.
Ancient Chinese named a cup or dipper "Dou", the name of the Big Dipper constellation. Secondly, when reading the I-Ching one of the rethorical structures for explaining the meaning of each hexagram is to begin with "Tuan Yue." Tuan means "boar" or "pig." Archaeologist scholars have proved that a symbol for a boar or pig stands for the Big Dipper in ancient China. Yue means say or speak; hence Tuan Yue means "Boar says"or "Big Dipper indicates."
The Big Dipper is the heart of the celestial word since it acts as a collecting vessel of the cosmic Qi generated by Polaris, the north star, according the to Chinese shamanic tradition.
Ancient Chinese astronomers called this constellation the "Jade Balance of Fate." It is in charge of the human being's karma and life force. Considered a trigger for natural phenomena occuring in the universe, it is responsible for the unleashing of natural disasters and the releasing of disease. Accordingly, it has the function of governing the universal laws of the four seasons. It is thought to govern the general balance of Yin and Yang in the universe. The Big Dipper patterns the Yin-Yang movement of the Dao, which indicates the change of nature.(1)
The ancient Chinese placed such significance to this constellation that early pottery was represented by depicting the Big Dipper using the symbol of the boar or pig:
Clay vessel decorated with a pig on each side discovered in Zhejiang province, circa 7,000 years ago.
Pig-shaped teapot (about 6,300 BC). Excavated from a Dawenkou Culture site in Taian City, Shandong Province, in 1959, this red pottery teapot, 21.6 cm high is in the shape of a pig, with its mouth open begging for food, and an upturn tail.
1. Zhongxian Wu (2009). Seeking the Spirit of the Book of Change: 8 Days to Mastering a Shamanic Yijing (I Ching) Prediction System. London: Singing Dragon. 232.
Apr 2nd, '11, 20:32
Posts: 107
Joined: Feb 15th, '11, 18:34
Scrolling: scrolling
Contact:
jaderabbit
Re: teaware history?
Thanks bagua! I guess that answers part of my question. The pig teapot is so cute. 