If you study the history of the china teapot and the discovery of tea, some give the credit of tea to Shen Nung, a Chinese Emperor in the 3rd Century BCE. The story has been told that he sat under a tree while boiling his drinking water and Camellia leaves fell into the bowl, giving his water a palatable flavor ' and this is how the history of tea came to be.
Teapots were not used upon the first discovery of tea. From the 8th century CE, tealeaves were rolled by hand, dried, and ground into a powder. In the beginning, the powder was mixed with salt and formed into cakes that would then be dropped into bowls of hot water to form a thick mixture. Later on, the powder was left in loose form, mixed in a bowl with boiling water, and whipped into froth.
During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), some of the first versions of the china teapot were made. The teapots were first made in the YiXing region in China with purplish clay also known as "zisha".
The evolution from drinking bowls to teapots was a smooth one. Chinese teapots were, and still are, used to brew tea. YiXing teapots gradually season over time with the unglazed clay absorbing the flavor of brewed tea. This is said to add special flavor making the tea even more succulent.
Eventually the trend of the china teapot started to influence the entire world. As British and Dutch colonialism was at its height, the teapots quickly were found in far-away homes. The development led to the porcelain paste that we know today that makes the china teapot.
If you are searching for a great selection of Yixing and Jingdezhen teapots, you can find them at www.thinkbeijing.com, along with more information about the history of teaware.
For more information log onto :
http://www.thinkbeijing.com/
About the Author:
I am the owner of this site
