"Water is the mother of tea, and tea ware is the father of tea." This well-known saying in the tea world profoundly reveals the complementary relationship between tea and tea ware. Selecting the appropriate tea ware plays a crucial and decisive role in the perfect presentation of a cup of tea's color, aroma, taste, tactile sensation, and the overall tea-drinking experience. Take the same type of tea as an example; the flavors brewed with a Gaiwan (a traditional Chinese tea bowl with a lid) and a teapot can be distinctly different. How to choose the right tea ware according to different types of tea to fully showcase the beauty of tea is a profound knowledge worth exploring. Today, let's step into Tongxinshe Teahouse together and explore a unique customized tea ware set - "One Gaiwan and Three Guest Cups with the Ink-colored Porcelain Pattern of Matouyan in Wuyi Mountain".
Matouyan is located in the Wuyi Mountain Scenic Area, a 5A-level national park that is both a World Natural and Cultural Heritage Site. The unique Danxia landform here has created a special mountain environment, and Matouyan is precisely in the core mountain area of Zhengyan. It starts from Dawang Peak in the east, ends at Tianyou Peak in the south, goes westward to Sanyang Peak, and begins from the Dahongpao Scenic Area in the north. It is one of the thirty-six famous peaks in Wuyi Mountain. Its unique mountain shape looks like a galloping horse raising its head and neighing from a distance, thus getting the name "Matouyan" (Horse Head Rock). From another angle, it resembles five galloping horses, so it is also known as "Five Horses Running towards the Trough". This unique natural landscape is skillfully hand-painted on today's Gaiwan, adding a rich cultural heritage and artistic atmosphere to the tea ware. This Gaiwan has a capacity of 80 milliliters, and each guest cup has a capacity of 25 milliliters. The size is just right, which is convenient for controlling the amount of water during brewing and allows tea tasters to fully enjoy the charm of tea in a small cup.
Let's talk about this unique ink-colored porcelain craftsmanship. In the early Qing Dynasty, the ink-colored porcelain technique inherited the production method of the black material in the Five-color Porcelain of the Ming Dynasty. When painting, a layer of snow-white pigment needs to be covered on the black color, which is called "covering the black material with color" in the industry. At that time, due to the reliance on imported Western enamel materials, the supply of raw materials became a major problem in production. It was not until July 10th of the sixth year of the Yongzheng reign that the successful firing of domestic enamel materials solved the supply problem of raw materials (black materials). Different from the Zhumingliao black color, the enamel black material has no glassy texture but a unique metallic luster. Its black color is deep, with rich color shades, and the production process is relatively simple, making it the main raw material for ink-colored porcelain.
Since the Qing Dynasty entered the pass, no imperial kiln in any previous dynasty could successfully transfer the ink wash paintings on paper or silk to porcelain like the Yongzheng Dynasty did. No wonder ink-colored porcelain was favored by Emperor Yongzheng. Ink-colored porcelain inherently contains the essence of literati paintings. Whether it is the shape or the pattern, most of them need to be examined and approved by the emperor himself before firing. Among the various shapes of ink-colored porcelain, stationery items are the most common, followed by Zun (a type of ancient Chinese wine vessel), Gaiwan, nested cups, plates, etc. In terms of patterns, landscapes, figures, and flowers and birds are the main themes, and each picture is just like an exquisite traditional Chinese ink wash painting.
When we hold this set of "One Gaiwan and Three Guest Cups with the Ink-colored Porcelain Pattern of Matouyan in Wuyi Mountain" and brew a cup of fragrant tea, we can not only savor the mellow taste of the tea but also feel the historical culture and artistic charm that are precipitated in the tea ware. It perfectly integrates the natural landscape, traditional craftsmanship, and tea culture, making every tea-tasting session a feast for both the eyes and the taste buds. Whether it is for personal collection, daily use, or as a gift to relatives and friends, this tea ware is an excellent choice. It carries not only the aroma of tea but also a love for and inheritance of traditional culture.