The Artistry of Tea

I love the aesthetic of the tea ceremony.  The colours and textures of the tea itself, the warmth of the bamboo tray, the rotund forms of the teacups and fair cup as well as the sleek design of the gaiwan tend to inspire the artist within, and often prompt me to reach for my camera or sketchbook.
.

I have a passion for exploring the world of textiles and when I saw the beautiful Persimmon Pouches that Evan at Pluck Teas had created, I suggested to Alyson that we should try to make our own.  Up until this point, we had been wrapping up our gaiwans like plump children in Halloween mummy costumes made of tea towels or napkins.  Don’t get me wrong, this works in a pinch, but there is always some worry that it might not keep all of the pieces together and safe in our backpacks.  I’ve had the frightening thought a couple times that the towel I’ve wrapped them in has unravelled.  Not a nice feeling!  Evan’s simple design, which he based on a traditional one with some added modern amenities, allows for neat, easy transport.  Naturally, we liked what we saw and based our pattern on his; however, not having a sewing machine means that ours are a bit more rustic and plain in design (that being said I think they’re beautiful, but maybe I’m biased).  We also solved the problem of rattling within the pouch by cutting two small squares of material and placing them between the saucer and cup as well as between the top and the cup.  In the end I’m pretty proud of our travel pouches and, most importantly, they provide us with peace of mind that our precious porcelain will remain together and safe en route to a good teasesh.

In conclusion, I hope that you find inspiration in your teaseshes, be it artistic, meditative, spiritual, literary etc.  Next time you sit down to a nice hot cup of tea, contemplate the beauty found in the process, the aesthetics and the sounds of the experience, you might just find yourself in a more creative headspace.

Happy sipping!


Brendan