Confessions of a teaware minimalist
The beauty of tea also lies in the choice of teaware it is served in. In the Japanese tea ceremony, for example, appreciating the beauty of the teaware is part of the ritual. It helps being present in the moment. The right teaware adds to the experience. Think of drinking your favorite tea out of a beautiful porcelain cup and compare that to drinking that very same tea out of a disposable paper cup. Not the same, right?
As a tea lover, I cannot resist the fascination of teaware. Nicole Martin’s blog post “Confessions of a teaware hoarder” on Tea for Me Please inspired me to take an inventory of my own teaware collection. Nicole has a huge collection of lovely pieces. I’m so jealous ;-)
I was not born a minimalist. Under different circumstances, I would totally be a teaware hoarder (and deep down, I am). But the space I have is very limited and after years of moving across continents and states, I have started to realize that less is more. I also noticed that on a daily basis, I keep reaching for my most easy-to-use and easy-to-clean pieces.
I like to think of my teaware collection as a capsule wardrobe. A capsule teaware collection, I like the sound of that. It’s a collection of a few essential and versatile items that don't go out of fashion. If needed, the collection can be expanded with selected, seasonal pieces but for the moment, mine won’t.
Here is my teaware collection.
My gong fu tea tray with my gaiwan, tasting cups, serving pitcher, tea pet and variable temperature kettle. Basic but functional.
My chasen (matcha bamboo whisk) on its holder, my two chawans (matcha tea bowls) and bamboo tea scoop (chashaku).
My beloved tea pots: small yixing tea pot (left), Western style glass tea pot (center) and Japanese kyusu (right).
My tasting cups.
Are you a teaware minimalist or a teaware hoarder?
Let me know in the comments below!
