View source for Teaware

{{Use American English|date=January 2019}}{{Short description|Traditional equipment for drinking tea in some cultures}}[[File:English_teaware.jpg|thumb|[[Tea in the United Kingdom|English teaware]]]]

[[File:Tea Bowl (Chawan) with Hare's Fur Pattern LACMA M.51.2.1.jpg|thumb|[[Chawan]] (tea bowl) with "hare's fur" pattern, [[Jian ware]] from China during the [[Song dynasty]]]]
'''Teaware''' is a broad international spectrum of equipment used in the brewing and consumption of [[tea]]. Many components make up that spectrum, and vary greatly based upon the type of tea being prepared, and the [[culture|cultural]] setting in which it is being prepared. This is often referred to as the ''[[tea ceremony]],'' and holds much significance in many cultures, particularly in northwestern [[Europe]] and in eastern [[Asia]]. A complete, cohesive collection of tea ware makes up a [[tea set]].

==Components==
{| class="wikitable"
|+Teaware (may be part of a [[Tea set]])
|-
| [[File:Black tea pot cropped.jpg|frameless]] || [[Teapot]] || Used to [[wiktionary:steep|steep]] tea leaves in hot water
|-
|[[File:Brita kettle.jpg|frameless]]
|Tea [[kettle]]
|Used to boil water
|-
| [[File:Cup_and_Saucer_LACMA_47.35.6a-b_(1_of_3).jpg|frameless]] || [[Teacup]] || Vessels from which to drink the hot tea (after the leaves have been strained). There are many different kinds of [[tea]] [[Cup|cups]].
|- 
| [[File:Tray.agr.jpg|frameless]] || Tea [[tray]]|| Used to hold teaware; also keeps the tea and hot water from spilling onto the table
|-
| [[File:Tea strainer 2.jpg|frameless]] || [[Tea strainer]] || Used to extract leaves from tea solutions
|-
| [[File:Genmaicha Tea in Infuser.jpg|frameless]] || [[Tea ball]] (infuser) || Used to hold tea leaves in water for removal after steeping
|-
| [[File:Teebeutel Polylactid 2009.jpg|frameless]]
| [[Tea bag]]
| Alternative to the [[tea ball]]
|-
|[[File:For your tea bag.jpg|frameless]]
|Teabag holder / [[Drink coaster|coaster]]
|Sized for holding a tea bag or ball
|-
| [[File:SilverTeaCaddy.jpg|frameless]] || [[Tea caddy]] || For storing tea when not being consumed
|-
| [[File:Tea cosy.jpg|frameless]] || [[Tea cosy]] || A [[knitted]] cover for keeping a teapot hot after the tea is made
|}

=== Alternatives / Others ===
*[[Chaki]], the caddy used at Japanese tea ceremonies.
*[[Chawan]], tea bowl used in [[East Asian tea ceremony|East Asian tea ceremonies]]
*[[Coffee cup]], instead of tea cup
*[[Gaiwan]], lidded cup for brewing and decanting or tea may even be drunk out of the vessel directly 
*[[Japanese tea utensils]], used in their tea ceremonies
*[[Mug]], instead of tea cup
*[[Tea draining tray]], for the Gongfu tea ceremony

==Construction==
Tea equipment may be constructed of many materials, from [[iron]] in [[Japan]] to [[porcelain]] and [[clay]] in [[China]], and also [[bamboo]] and other [[Wood|woods]]. Of particular repute are the [[Yixing clay teapot|Yixing clay teapots]] produced in eastern China, a type of [[Yixing ware]]. The [[Brown Betty (teapot)|Brown Betty]] was originally made from red clay found in Britain.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Terry |first=Betty |date=2022-08-19 |title=The Little Teapot That Could - TeaTime Magazine |url=https://teatimemagazine.com/the-little-teapot-that-could/4/ |access-date=2025-06-07 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Shacket |first=Sara |date=October 11, 2018 |title=Teaware History: The Brown Betty: The People's Teapot |url=http://www.tea-happiness.com/2018/10/teaware-history-brown-betty-peoples.html |access-date=2025-06-07}}</ref>

==Lu Yu's tea set (陸羽的茶具)==
[[File:Kjj stove.JPG|thumb|[[Brazier]] of [[Lu Yu]]]]
{{Further|The Classic of Tea|Lu Yu}}
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
*Crushing block (砧椎)
*Brazier (風爐)
*Charcoal basket (炭筥)
*Charcoal mallet (炭檛)
*Fire chopsticks (火筴)
*Cauldron (鍑)
*Cauldron stand (交床)
*Tea tongs (夾)
*Paper wallet (紙囊)
*Crushing roller (碾)
*Sieve box (羅合)
*Tea holder (則)
*Water vessel (水方)
*Water filter bag (漉水囊)
*Gourd scooper (瓢)
*Bamboo tongs (竹夾)
*Salt container (鹺簋)
*Boiled water vessel (熟盂)
*Bowl (碗)
*Bowl basket (畚)
*Brush (劄)
*Water basin (滌方)
*Spent tea basin (滓方)
*Tea cloth (巾)
*Utensil table (具列)
*Utensil basket (都籃)
{{div col end}}

==The twelve tea pieces for the elderly (審安老人的12茶具)==
[[Image:Teautensils.jpg|thumb|right|[[Song dynasty|Song Dynasty]] [[Chinese tea culture|Chinese tea ware]]]]

#Brazier (風爐)
#Crushing block (砧椎)
#Crushing roller (碾)
#Stone mill (石磨)
#Gourd scooper (瓢)
#Sieve box (羅合)
#Brush (札)
#Bowl basket (畚)
#Bowl (碗)
#Water vessel (水方)
#Tea whisk (茶筅)
#Tea cloth (巾)

The above tea pieces were also mentioned by Lu Yu in ''[[The Classic of Tea]],'' except for the stone mill (石磨) and tea whisk (茶筅).

==See also==
*[[Flagstaff House Museum of Teaware]]
* [[List of Japanese tea ceremony equipment]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}{{Teas}}
{{Kitchen tools}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Teaware| ]]
[[Category:Tea]]