Tea Wares and Tea Snacks

Tea Wares and Tea Things

10/20/2020 (rev. w/additions)

More than a dozen years ago
A tea house I walked in with a friend 
unexpectedly the proprietor started to offer us

a crash course - how to achieve balanced life with
the Way of Tea 茶道
Introducing his tea wares to us he explained 
Each one of the five elements in life 
integrated into his tea wares 

He explained 

all aspects of making tea were represented by

Gold, wood, water, fire and earth

金木水火土

Gold : tea kettle holder
Wood: knob on tea kettle 
Water: water to be boiled in the kettle 
Fire: from the oven underneath the kettle 
Earth: body of tea kettle of which it was made
Balance is achieved when tea was made 

with all these five elements 

Quite an experience, Isn’t it?

Taipei, Taiwan 

(mid millennium)

A Private Tea Party 

At the house of a friend’s 

An exquisite lunch was prepared by our hostess 

when desserts were being served

determined not to be outmatched by the main courses 

these are just a few delicacies 

to go with our tea drinking 

Not exactly the “Afternoon Tea British style”

the party lasted until twilight hours 

茶席一例

Tea party table arrangement for the public

When we went out to perform demo at tea parties for the public 

Essential items needed to be on each table:

Teacups 茶杯sitting in individual saucers 茶托

( in photo: 6 for guests + 2 for tea server & assistant)

Tea caddy 茶罐 (not shown here) for tea to be brewed

Tea scoop 茶則 to get tea leaves in caddy before placing in teapot

Teapot 茶壺（this one made of pottery with a side handle)

Decanter 茶海 preferably a matching one to the pot

Water bowl  水盂 for discarded tea water, etc

Flower arrangement

small and elegant arrangement 

not to overpower the whole table setting

a pair of white camellia which resemble real tea flowers 

placed in a shallow bowl in lieu of a vase（gl)

二人靜

A tea dessert 

A delicate box coming all the way from Japan

delivered by a Japanese friend 

Inside the box

A folded piece of user’s manual explained

individually wrapped candies 

made from flowers of a plant 

They came in two colors, pink and beige

each molded separately into a small hemisphere to

to make a dandy candy ball

You can sample each separately 

or with some one you care about

Quite proper for lovers to enjoy as the box top suggested 

Isn’t it swell? (originally used for Valentine’s Day)

 Another Tea Set for Two

for a cozy and informal tea gathering 

Grace