Many newcomers to the tea ceremony often ask, what type of tea ware is suitable for beginners? Here's a small suggestion: when starting your tea journey, consider beginning with acquiring a host cup.
So, what is a host cup? By definition, it's a cup specifically used by the host, distinct from those used by guests. It's a cup that represents your taste and personality on the tea table.
There's a well-known saying in tea circles: “Without a personal cup, there's no complete tea session.” On the tea table, you can often see that the cup used by the person brewing tea (the host) is different from the cups used by the guests.
If you pay close attention, you'll notice that the host cup tends to be somewhat more exquisite than the cups used by guests. This article will introduce host cups based on their characteristics and types.
How does a host cup reveal the host?
A host cup can generally give an idea about the host's identity, taste, and preferences.
Host cups come in various materials and designs, some featuring painted or carved patterns such as flowers, birds, mountains, and streams. The owner of such a cup usually has artistic cultivation and a refined demeanor.
People who own multiple host cups either frequently attend different tea gatherings or are generous and unconcerned with trivial matters…
The shape of the cup can also give clues about the type of tea the owner prefers.
For example, those who regularly Drink Pu'er tea might choose a cup with a wide opening, shallow depth, and large rim, allowing them to appreciate the smoothness of the Pu'er tea broth;
Cups with neither a wide nor narrow opening retain heat well and are suitable for fragrant teas like high-altitude Oolong Tea; cups with a flared rim concentrate both aroma and flavor, making them ideal for raw teas.
Characteristics of a host cup
Not all cups can become host cups. Simply put, a host cup is a cup that belongs exclusively to the host. However, more deeply, host cups typically have certain fixed characteristics.
Rarity
The material, design, Painting, and craftsmanship of a host cup are all of a high standard, highlighting the host's passion for and expertise in tea.
A host cup cannot be mass-produced. First, rarity adds value. Second, machine-made cups cannot match the refinement of handcrafted ones.
A host cup should not be widely available. Otherwise, during a tea gathering with friends, if you both pull out identical “host cups” from your pockets, you'd have to use polite phrases like “it's fate” or “great minds think alike” to ease the awkwardness.
Additionally, a host cup's design needs to be infused with unique elements, reflecting the host's deep understanding of tea ceremony.
Cultural significance
Culture can be somewhat intangible. For example, the first cup you acquire on your tea journey, a cup you made yourself, or a cup given to you by a friend could all become cherished for sentimental reasons.
Besides the design, the material of the cup itself also attracts attention. Materials with cultural connotations are commonly chosen, including white porcelain, wood-leaf bowls, Jian bowls, and purple clay cups, among others. Each type has its own rich cultural background.
Conversation starter
A host cup often serves as a conversation starter, bringing people closer. Guests often express admiration for the host's cup, and the stories behind the cups make the tea time more relaxed, especially when meeting new people.
Types of host cups
Below are some host cups that complement a purple clay teapot well.
Purple clay cups
The previous section mentioned the rarity of host cups, making wood-fired and rare-clay purple clay cups excellent choices.
◆ Wood-fired purple clay cups
Wood firing refers to the process of using wood as fuel during the firing of purple clay teapots, allowing flames and ashes to enter the kiln directly.
The ash from burning wood (pine, bamboo, various woods, etc.) naturally falls onto the teapot body during the wood-firing process, forming a natural glaze after long periods of high-temperature fusion. The texture has a layered change, and the quality is rugged and powerful, with each piece being unique and unpredictable.
The rustic, thick, and primitive Beauty of wood-fired purple clay cups is what many enthusiasts find captivating, leading them to devote significant effort to pursuing these cups.
◆ Rare clay custom cups
In the world of purple clay ware, identifying the clay is essential. Purple clay is the foundation of purple clay ware. The best clays are aged original mine clays. Sufficiently aged purple clay produces better results when fired and easily develops a patina when steeped.
This type of cup is rarely seen on the market because good clay is typically reserved for teapots, making cups a luxury. If you come across one, consider purchasing it.
◆ Decorated purple clay cups
A host cup with poetry inscribed on it suggests elegance and nostalgia; one with a personalized surname and related verses indicates a cultured individual; an exceptionally exquisite cup priced higher than the teapot shows the owner's high standards for quality and experience.
Additionally, purple clay host cups have absorbency. Connoisseurs prefer using them for a single type of tea, and multiple cups can be purchased for different teas.
Wood-leaf bowls
Wood-leaf bowls are among the finest black-glazed bowls from Jizhou. Both the inside and outside of the bowl are coated with black glaze, and a mulberry leaf is placed inside before firing. After being subjected to 1,300-degree Celsius temperatures, the mulberry leaf doesn't disintegrate but instead retains its beautiful veins, shape, and structure intact on the dark bowl.
Commonly, a single leaf adorns each bowl, but some have multiple leaves, and there are even bowls with a leaf at the bottom and another in the center.
Remarkably, the leaf inside the bowl appears raised but feels flat when touched. Wood-leaf bowls feature leaves primarily in brownish-yellow, but gray-white and purple variations also exist, creating an interesting contrast against the black clay.
Wood-leaf bowls may not appear very smooth, but they become glossy when wet. The leaf pattern looks like a fresh leaf