The Ember Collection
Chinese
While we are sharing & simplifying knowledge of teaware & tea culture much of it comes from Chinese culture. Part of respecting the culture is learning the language & terminology.
You will get an overview with
Chinese - pinyin - transliteration - translation with each piece that you order.
Chinese Characters
公道杯
gōng dào bēi
gong dow bay
Pour Cup
FAE Transliteration
Chinese pinyin
FAE Translation
Types of Ceramics
Earthenware
Hardy, nice to hold, & often with special glazes
This is the most simple type of ceramic to make. Some items that you might recognize as Earthenware are planter pots which are often made of terracotta. These are extremely porous, so they must be glazed. Due to this they are often used with the most attractive glazes like ruyao, celadon, and jianzhan glazes. This is the most accessible teaware and is less likely to be handmade but will often feel the nicest in your hand.
Stoneware
Most natural and softens flavor of tea
While not the hardest to work with for the ceramicist, this the most complex type of ceramics for teaware. Due do it's semi-porous nature it changes the tea more thsanan any other type of ceramics. This type of ceramics will never be glazed. When first drinking with stoneware you will need to rinse it to clear anything in the pores and warm up the pot/cup. Additionally, at first these types of ceramics will pull some flavor from tea, over time they will actually impart tea flavor even with only water in the pot.
Porcelain
By far the most complex to make due to its high firing temperature & clay sensitivity. Even though many of these pieces will break in the kiln, porcelain has the most beautiful allure out of all the types of ceramics. Some made so thin (and with the proper clay) that it is translucent.
Finest ceramics & often the thinnest
*4 Famous Pottery Regions in China
Yixing
Qinzhou
Jianshui
**Rongchang
**Rongchang is not known for teaware but other household pottery.
Styles in Chinese Ceramics
Literally Ru kiln, this style perfected in the Song Dynasty. The glaze creates cracks called 开片(kāi piàn) that will darken as you drink more tea making them highly sought after pieces. Since the crackles grow with usage many tea drinkers get addicted to drinking with ruyao.
Crackle Glaze / Ruyao
Glaze that crackles with time & are smooth to touch
Drip Glaze / Jianzhan
Glazed black porcelain that looks & feels metallic
This is one of the only times that black porcelain is ever used. Coming from the Song Dynasty, these pieces will be your heaviest feeling teaware. Also, because of its metal like characteristics if you tap something against these pieces they will give off a metalesque ring.
Wood Fired / Chaishao
Unglazed & wood fired with gold allure
This wood fired technique comes from ancient Chinese craft but until modern ceramics was not about to be made high quality. The defining characteristics for these pieces are gold looking flakes in the clay and ashes and fire entering the kiln during firing. Similar to Japanese Kintsugi, these are sought after due to the fact that no two pieces fire the same.
This famous blue underglaze was developed over several dynasties and perfected in Jingdezhen at the Hutian kiln. This technique would be difficult to do even if it wasn't painted on fragile porcelain and is considered the peak of porcelain by many combining delicate porcelain with carefully painted deep blues.
Blue Painted / Qinghua
Extremely complicated blue underglaze painting
Being one of the oldest styles for teaware, celadon has some of the most variance. Some will be as thin as porcelain, while other pieces will be thicker than a Yeti mug. It also comes in a few different colorations based on the iron oxide content. There is also a variant that has wide dark cracks formed right in the glaze.
Jade Glaze / Celadon / Qingci
Green glaze from iron oxide, as far back as 1000 BC
Metal & Wood
Not common, but unique
Similar to yellow tea, you are unlikely to find these pieces in the modern era. Silver is expensive and wood degrades while being hard to work with. However, these both have their place in teaware history and we may have some surprises for you soon to come.
Teaware Regions
Jingdezhen, Jiangxi
Porcelain Capital of the world
*Yixing, Jiangsu
Famous purple sand stoneware pots
Sichuan Province
The gaiwan was invented
Ruzhou, Henan
Ruyao style was invented
Chaozhou, Guangdong
Beautiful stoneware red clay small pots
*Jianshui, Yunnan
Hand etched stoneware pots
*Qinzhou, Guangxi
Famous nixing purple red stoneware pots
Teaware Attributes
Vitrif-osity
Is it shiny like glass?
Porosity
Will tea seep into or through the piece?
Heat Retention
How long will the piece hold heat after steeped?
Softness
Does the piece feel like jade or glass?
Thickness
Is it thin like a shot glass or thick like a mug?
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