Tisane tea is synonymous with herbal tea.  The word is a derivate of ptisanē, Greek meaning a crushed barley drink.  The onus being that this type of tea does not contain extracts from the tea plant, Camellia Sinensis.  It is best to be aware of what you are purchasing as tisanes can be flowers, roots, fruits, stems and seeds; if using tea bags the paper can even be scented for aromatherapy.  If making your own concoction do not pick just any berry or mushroom as some can have psychedelic effects.  However, many homeopathic tisane teas have been used for centuries which have proven to have long-term healthful and healing benefits such as Ayurveda, chamomile and peppermint.

 

Do you admire one, or more, of your teapots enough to make it a tea party theme?  There is an art to making invitations, just as there is to making teapots.    And, the ultimate host or hostess intentionally attempts to make his or her party the most memorable for guests; a theme is one way to do so.  One teapot collector and stamp artist, Mothermark, invites online participants to download their home-made invitation that matches a teapot.  It is referred to as "Teapot Tuesday."  Below are just a few of the submissions.  I am sure there are many more out there yet to be created.

         

While studying philosophy at the University of Wollongong in Australia, Daniel Garreston searched for intellectual answers.  He became at peace with his questions in Asian philosophy, culture and society; hence, leading to the interests in Japanese tea ceremonies, the rituals and associated vessels.  This is what led to his determination to master the pottery skills required to make Japanese influenced teapots, cups and bowls.  Sometimes knowing the story behind the artist's creation is what partially infuses the tea in which it is served in.

 

Before English cottage style teapots of the 1750's, Chinese artists crafted pots that resembled pagodas or other buildings, all of which had upward curving roofs. The Japanese crafted similar styled teapots based on tea houses in the region.  The teapot below is a recent garden pagoda rendition.  It combines innovative silver smithing by Lunt with a design motivated by William Halfpenny's "Rural Architecture in the Chinese Taste," published in London in 1752.

 

On the market are many teas claiming to reduce weight.  The underlying problem with some of these is that they contain herbal laxatives such as castor oil, rhubarb root and buckthorn.  If used in large quantities this can cause harm to the gastrointestinal tract and weaken bones.  The best alternative, one in which has been used for centuries is green tea. 

  

This tea increases the metabolism rate to help consistently and moderately burn fat hence keeping the weight off.  Additionally, it is full of anti-oxidants, even more so than Vitamin E.  Another bonus from drinking green tea is that it curbs cravings of some greasy foods and sugary treats.  Add some cinnamon to your green tea for sweetness or if just merely bored brew a cup of green tea instead of reaching for those chips.

 

Selecting a personable gift for a tea-loving family member or friend mandates that the giver ponder what is it that will bring a smile to the receiver's face or offer memories for years to come.  Consider combining two topics or areas of interests for your tea friend's gift. 

 For the gardener - a tin of blossoming teas and a tin of wildflower seeds 

   For the home baker - a supply of green tea with hand written recipes that require the ingredient

   For the avid reader - the book "History of Tea," his or her favourite tea blend and a tea-scented candle to permeate the air while reading

The possibilities are endless. 

This afternoon try jotting down a few ideas during tea time.

Joaquin Moragues is a female artist most known for her stunning scenes of African wildlife.  Yet her abilities far surpass landscapes. I find her Asian abstract drawings superior to many others.   In conjunction with the often multi-palette tiled backgrounds, I especially appreciate the choice of her objects and placement of them.   Most of her tea related prints can be purchased in poster size, an inexpensive means of paying homage to a particular artist or subject matter.

 

 

 

 

 

If you are new to teapot collecting you may not be aware of the term.  Crazing is apparent when the teapot's glaze has fine hairline cracks. This can occur either inside or on the outside of pots.  It stems from one of two reasons. 

1. First, the clay and the glaze were not fired in the kiln at high enough temperatures.  Thus, when boiling or extremely cold water is placed in the pot it breaks down the fusion of the two fired elements, forcing tiny little lines to appear.  
2. Second, the vessel may have been dropped but in such a way it did not break down the clay, instead cracked the glaze.

Even though crazing may be visible, this does not imply the pot is no longer functional nor, in many cases, should it prevent you from purchasing it.  Actually, crazing may be a means of negotiating the price. 

I always associate the fine lines of a teapot with a story, similar to us humans having earned laughing lines on our face.

 

 

"What intrigues me in making teapots is combining the parts, vessel, spout, lid and handle, into an aesthetically pleasing whole that says something beyond tea."   Claudia Tarantino compares the creation of her porcelain teapots to a chef's artistry of serving and preparing an elegant or bountiful meal. 

   She hopes that her fruits, vegetables and flowers invite guests to "stop, enjoy and partake."   In addition to the two flowering teapots shown here, her website contains a menu of other incredible fruit and flowering teapots.

 

  

 

 

Why does Sara Chieco alter functional teapots?  She claims it is to confront the viewer, to have he or she question the idea of hypothetical sculpture, its outward appearance and circumstance.  Actually, if you research the history of teapots one of the reasons for its shape was ease of shipping and trading.  Another explanation stems from the fact that the Chinese had great respect for their natural surroundings; hence, their pots were designed to emulate fruit, bamboo and tree branches.  

These crazy "blueberry blaster" and "peach married" teapots are wonderful reminders that fruit infused teas are a cool way to get our daily dose of afternoon tea but with a refreshing taste of natural sweetness during the hot summer days. 

 

 

 

 

Making tea using the 1,000 year old Gongfu tradition requires a series of steps to brew.  This process is particularly favourable with high quality green (as shown)  and scented teas.   Two Yixing teapots are preferred. 

1. Heat water to near boiling
2. Rinse teapot with hot water and drain
3. Not touching the leaves, fill pot 1/3 full of loose tea
4. Fill pot ½ full with the heated water
5. Keeping the leaves in the pot, drain water immediately
6. Warm tea bowls or cups using more hot water then empty
7. Fill the teapot again with fresh hot water, allowing it to steep for 30 seconds
8. Pour the tea into another teapot
9. Fill tea bowls or cups for drinking

Using the bouquet of green tea and Yixing teapots in this manner is similar to savouring a fine wine.

There are several tales as to how this tea originated, all which lead to the fact that lapsang souchong was founded by mistake.  During ancient China, soldiers marched into the town of Chong An star village deciding to make a local tea factory be their hostel.  The fresh tea leaves became partially fermented during their occupancy.  Once the factory workers were able to return they tried to quickly dry out the leaves using pine wood thus resulted in this smoky odiferous tea.   

Other historians accredit this tea's discovery to traders journeying from China to Russia by camel.  Because the travels took up to one year, it is said that the piney flavour of lapsang souchong is a derivative of the smoke from the many campfires ignited each night while reaching their destination.

 

 

How many times have we thrown away game board pieces that our children have left on the floor or trashed small toys they have outgrown?  Donald Clark would likely cringe at the thought.  He has made a living assembling these items in a scrupulously planned patterned form on teapots.  After viewing his collaged vessels there is no doubt that he envisions that all things have a purpose after its initial role.

 

 

 

 

Silversmith Randy Long created this teapot made of sterling silver, wood, marble and 18 karat gold leaf.  The marble is carved and laminated, the forms fabricated with textures.  Mr. Long entitled his piece "Tuscany Tea Service" because he combined the visuals of the full moon, the striped cathedral walls made of marble and a large cypress tree  that he noticed in a nanosecond when entering the village square at Orvietto, Italy.

 

 

In the USA this expression has  gained popularity by the masses because of the endorsement of the famous female talk show hostess Oprah Winfrey.  Wu long tea is just another name for oolong and is not a fad weight-loss diet.  Wu long has a flavour similar to green tea because of its fresh taste, yet the aroma is comparable to black blends.   This is a result of the semi-fermentation.  The importance of understanding the terminology is that Wu long tea has varying grades, just as wine, all depending on the harvest time and growing conditions; the province of Fujian is best known for its consistency and authentication. 

 

 

Throughout her secluded childhood on a small island, Pat Kazi relied on fairy tales and nature for entertainment.  She has never forgotten these dreamy characters.  The creatures she imagined are now visible to others on her porcelain and stoneware teapots.  Her fantasy sculptures are adorned with royal robes, beads, shells, fur and other embellishments found in antique shops. Her figurative pieces of dragons, fish warriors and royal rabbits are currently sought by a niche group of ‘mystical' collectors from around the world.  

   

This teapot is made of silk, wool and other fibers.  Of course you are not able to steep tea in it; however, the tedious work to create such a masterpiece is comparable to hand sewing tea needles for blooming tea.  Rachel Nicholson stores the array fibers by pigment in plastic bins in her studio with a built in wet station.  This allows her to select her palette of colours like a painter does on canvas.  These objects range from wall hangings to teapots.  

The first reference of glass appears in the days of Moses.  And, in 1612 a Florentine priest, Antonio Neri, is quoted as saying:  Glass is more gentle, graceful and noble than any metal and its use is more delightful, polite, and sightly than any other material at this day known to the world.  His comment is applicable to glass teapots even though these were not functional until the 20^th century. What other vessel can one watch the tea brew and dance plus stop the process at just the preferred strength?