In Chinese tea culture, good tea and water are not enough; the utensils must also be appropriate. In his classic work, “The Classic of Tea,” Lu Yu of the Tang Dynasty lists no fewer than twenty-four different tea utensils: the wind stove, bamboo basket, charcoal hammer, fire poker, kettle, stand, paper bag, grinder, sifter, measure, water container, strainer, ladle, bamboo whisk, salt dish, warmed bowl, cup, scoop, tongs, washing bowl, residue bowl, cloth, utensil tray, and basket. According to the classification in “The Classic of Tea,” these utensils were used for various tasks such as firing, brewing, roasting, grinding, measuring, serving, fetching water, storing water, filtering water, storing salt, taking salt, and Drinking Tea.
In ancient China, “tea utensils” and “tea tools” were distinct terms with different uses and scopes. “Tea tools” referred to implements used for tea picking, steaming, shaping, drying, sealing, and counting, which have little to do with what we now call “tea utensils.” Even the “twenty-four tea utensils” mentioned in “The Classic of Tea” only partly align with the modern definition of tea utensils.
It has been said that “water is the mother of tea, and utensils are its father.” Since ancient times, Chinese people have been meticulous about their tea utensils. Taking the “cup” mentioned in “The Classic of Tea” as an example, Lu Yu goes into great detail about the places where such tea cups were made, their characteristics, and their relative merits. According to “The Classic of Tea,” regions known for producing tea cups included Yue Prefecture and Wuzhou in Zhejiang Province, Yue Prefecture in Hunan Province, Ding Prefecture, Shou Prefecture in Anhui Province, Hong Prefecture in Jiangxi Province, and Xing Prefecture in Hebei Province. Due to differences in firing techniques and styles, tea cups from these regions had varying glaze colors, including light green, yellow, white, and brown.
After careful examination and tasting, Lu Yu concluded that the white porcelain from Xing Prefecture, the yellow from Shou Prefecture, and the brown from Hong Prefecture all obscured the color of the tea and were therefore “unsuitable for tea.” The light green tea cups produced by the Yue kilns in Zhejiang Province, however, complemented the green color of the tea, creating a harmonious appearance described as “half a cup of green with a greenish hue,” enhancing the tea's visual appeal. Lu Yu was particularly impressed by the design of Yue porcelain, noting that it had “a lip that does not curl outward and a slightly curled bottom,” meaning that the shape of the Yue tea cup is inward and not flared, preventing tea from spilling, while the slightly curled bottom makes it easy to hold—a perfect utensil for Tea drinking.
After the Ming Dynasty, following Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang's decree to abolish compressed tea in favor of loose leaf tea offerings, steeping became the predominant method of tea preparation. Various types of tea utensils also became standardized, such as the covered bowls used in official settings, large teapots for tea houses, and large bowls for everyday consumption, much like what we see today. Additionally, porcelain and purple clay remained the primary materials for tea utensils during the Ming and Qing dynasties, similar to current practices.