Tea pet

Tea Pet
Tea pets for sale in a shop
Chinese茶宠
Traditional Chinese茶寵
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinCháchǒng

Tea pet or tea lover's pet (simplified Chinese: 茶宠; traditional Chinese: 茶寵; pinyin: cháchǒng), also known as chachong, is a small pottery figure which is kept by some tea drinkers for good luck.[1] They are usually made of zisha or Yixing clay, from the region near Yixing in Jiangsu province, China. Similar to Yixing teapots made from the same clay, tea pets are unglazed, and are mostly monochromatic with a rough surface.[2]

A tea pet is typically placed on a tea tray and has tea poured over it during tea time. Due to the tea pet not being glazed, the figurine absorbs some of the tea, resulting in the tea pet changing color over time, as well as building up a tea scent.

One of the most popular models for the tea pet is the "pee-pee boy", which, when first soaked in cold water and then showered with hot water, will squirt out the water it previously absorbed.[3] Tea pets are also molded into zodiac animals or Chinese mythical creatures such as dragons, pixiu and qilin to symbolize good luck, fortune and happiness, as well as historical or mythical characters such as Guanyin, Maitreya and Zhuge Liang.

History

Hot water poured on the head of the "pee-pee boy" tea pet triggers a water jet indicating the water temperature.[3]

The birthplace of tea pets, Yixing, was first famous as the birthplace of Yixing clay in Song dynasty (960–1279 CE).[4] With the popularity of the Yixing clay teapot, Yixing became a major production center for tea pots, mugs, and other things used for making tea. Teapot artisans then began molding Yixing clay into various mythical creatures or animals as mascots for tea enthusiasts, with production still concentrated in Yixing region in the modern day.

Each tea pet often represents specific symbols or virtues, with designs ranging from animals to mythical creatures. For instance, a frog or toad is commonly associated with wealth and prosperity, while a dragon symbolizes power and strength. The selection of a tea pet can reflect the owner's aspirations and values, making these figures meaningful companions during the tea ceremony.

Despite the longevity of Yixing as a production centre for tea products and accessories, little was written on the development of tea pets in Chinese history, with few literary sources detailing their use and production.

See also

References

  1. ^ Hendren, Jay (2012). "Gongfu Cha: A New American Luxury". Colorado Journal of Asian Studies. 1 (1): 59.
  2. ^ Pan, Chunfang (2004). Yixing Pottery: The World of Chinese Tea Culture. San Francisco: Long River Press. pp. 41–49
  3. ^ a b Lee, Vincent; Attinger, Daniel (2016-07-19). "Thermodynamics and historical relevance of a jetting thermometer made of Chinese zisha ceramic". Scientific Reports. 6: 28609. Bibcode:2016NatSR...628609L. doi:10.1038/srep28609. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 4949419. PMID 27431925.
  4. ^ Lo, Kuei-hsiang (1986). The stonewares of Yixing: From the Ming period to the present day. London: Sotheby's Publications.

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