Chinese Tea Set Stickers

Authentic tea sets straight from China,
these stickers add life to scrapbooks, party favors,
letters and cards. Indulge in the culture of tea!









Introduction
Clay is the basic material for 3 kinds of teapots: red teapots, yellow teapots, and dark green teapots. The clay's color first decides color of the teapot. Second, the firing of the teapot determines the final product.

Porcelain teapots represent elegance and grace. Long a Chinese art, porcelain teapots were readily adopted by western countries.



Advantages
People use porcelain teapots to showcase green tea's rich and subtle colors. To complement the tea drinking experience, matching porcelain tea cups are essential to displaying the tea's color.



What makes a good teapot?
Porcelain teapots can be very expensive all the way to very cheap. The difference lies in the quality of clay used at the beginning and the quality of craftmanship. The best porcelain teapots made in China are found in Jingde County in Jiangxi province. Jingde county has the most appropriate clay to make a high quality porcelain teapot.

A high quality porcelain teapot will be very thin, shine when light glances off it, and extremely white.



Imported to the West
In the early 1700's, French businessmen started exporting Chinese porcelain to America. The French knew that that quartz and orthoclase needed to be added to the clay. Additionally, the porcelain needed to be fired at the high temperatures between 2,192-2,372F. The French porcelain, however, was still inferior to the porcelain in China.

In 1768 a doctor in Limoges, France discovered a larger area of pure white, high quality clay. 3 years later, the royal family built a porcelain tea factory in Limoges. The French porcelain quality promptly became the best in the world because they used improved technology, worked to find better processes, and explored new patterns and shapes.

France's strength at time enabled the porcelain to makes its way into the world market as a high quality product associated with the wealthy and powerful.



Porcelain = China
When Jingde county began exporting its porcelain teapots to the west in the late 1500's, England was one of her main destinations. When the English first started importing this porcelain, there was no English word for the porcelain. Jingde county residents used the word “changnang” to describe their product, which the English appropriated to say “china.”



What makes a good tea cup? 

• Match the teacups with the teapot

                Example:
                A red clay teapot needs red clay teacups.
                A porcelain teapot needs porcelain teacups.

• Use a small teacup

                    Common teacups usually measure 5cm wide, 2.5cm high (2”x1”).
                    Your small cup is not intended to quench a parched throat!


Tea Caddy

The tea caddy displayes and holds utensils that help facilitate the tea making and drinking processes. Oftentimes, these utensils are made of wood.

Tongs
The tongs look like chopsticks glued together at one end. They are designed to pick up the tea cups when cleaning them with boiling water. For everyday use, people often use metal tongs for the sake of ease instead of visual effect.



Tea Scoop
The tea scoop is similar to white flour scoop only much smaller. The scoop is used to measure tea out of its bag or can and placed into the teapot.



Small Tea Spoon
As the tea leaves are filled with water, they periodically need rearranged inside the teapot. Instead of sticking your finger inside(!), you use the small spoon to stir and press the leaves down in the teapot.



Tea Pick

Resembling a large toothpick, this instrument helps unplug tea leaves that lodge themselves in the tea pot spout.

Tea Canister

                             

Presentation matters. When receiving and giving tea, packaging speaks about the tea quality and importance of the tea receiver.

Usually tea is vacuum-packaged into 10g pouches, large enough for a one-time sitting. These 7-10 pouches are then placed into the tea canister. Other times, tea is packaged in a single bag that needs to be wrapped tightly after each use. To encourage freshness, tea canisters are refrigerated.

Tea canisters can be made for cardboard, plastic, metal, or porcelain. The more expensive the tea, the more expensive, ornate, and unique are the tea canisters.

Tea Table

Use
The tea table is where tea is prepared and served. The table can be made from various materials.


Bamboo
A bamboo table produces a graceful effect that matches the natural surrounding of tea


Sandalwood
Sandalwood makes a superior tea table, giving a very refined effect. It is also the most rare and expensive material.


Stone
Various kinds of stones, including jade can also be carved into tea tables.


Metal
Metal is the most economical, utilitarian option.

Red Clay Teapots  

                 

Teapots are made from many different kinds of materials, including clay, porcelain, ceramic, and glass. 


Introduction
Clay is the basic material for 3 kinds of teapots: red teapots, yellow teapots, and dark green teapots. The clay's color first decides color of the teapot. Second, the firing of the teapot determines the final product.

Red clay teapots are most often associated with China. The most famous red clay teapots come from Jiangsu province where the red clay is rare, produces a rich red color, and keeps the balance of air and water inside the teapot at optimal levels.



Advantages
People use red clay teapots to preserve the rich tea flavors of wulong and Pu'er tea. When boiling water is poured into and over the pot, a pleasing green tea or wulong tea aroma fills the air. An important part of the tea drinking process is to have the immediate air lightly filled with the tea's aroma.

Red clay pots are also not easily broken by sudden temperature changes. These tea pots last long even though hot tea is poured into cold cups and have boiling water repeatedly poured over them.

Quality red clay teapots have good air permeability, which keeps the orignal tea leaf fragrance. In winter the teapot keeps the tea warm, and in the summer it prevents te tea from going sour.



Collectibles
Red clay teapots are usually small in size (8-13cm long), and can be considered works of art. More expensive teapots turn into collectibles that are displayed, most commonly on personal tea shelves. The less expensive ones are more designed for everyday use.


What makes a good tea cup? 

• Match the teacups with the teapot
  

                Example:
                A red clay teapot needs red clay teacups.
                A porcelain teapot needs porcelain teacups.

• Use a small teacup

                    Common teacups usually measure 5cm wide, 2.5cm high (2”x1”).
                    Your small cup is not intended to quench a parched throat!