Stories about creative experiences, people and places - art tutorials, observations and learning.
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Tea on Thursday 20 : Liquid Jade
Today's tea tantaliser is a book . I am currently reading "Liquid Jade - The Story of Tea from East to West". I am thoroughly enjoying this social history of tea, finding beautiful poetry, funny and fascinating stories, interesting facts and new knowledge about tea and its integral part in the history of 'East meets West' .
Here is an extract from the blurb :
... Liquid Jade's rich narrative history explores tea in all its social and cultural aspects... . Entertaining yet informative and extensively researched, Liquid Jade tells the story of Western greed and Eastern bliss ... also depicts tea's beauty and delights, not only with myths about the beginnings of tea or the lovers' legend in the familiar blue and white porcelain willow pattern, but also with a rich and varied selection of works of art and historical photographs, which form a rare and comprehensive visual tea record... Connecting past and present and spanning five thousand years, Beatrice Hohenegger's captivating and muti-layered account of tea will enhance the experience of a steaming "cuppa" for tea lovers the world over. ....
The chapters have such enticing titles :
And I leave you with one snippet from this book - the list is much longer, but I include 5 of the particular"vertues" of tea, outlined by Thomas Garaway, renowned tea merchant in England in the 1660's '
- It maketh the body active and lusty.
- It helpeth the Head-ach, giddiness and heavyness thereof.
- It removeth the obstructions of the Spleen.
- It is very good against stone and gravel, cleansing the Kidneys and Uriters, being drank with Virgin Honey instead of Sugar.
- It taketh away the difficulty of breathing, opening Obstructions.....
"Liqud Jade" was first published in 2006, by St Martin's Press. The copy I am currently reading is borrowed from the Newcastle (NSW) City Library and I recommend it to all tea devotees.
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Tea on Thursday 19 : Felted Tea Pots
hand felted tea pot |
teapot ( back) |
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flat wet teapot |
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tea pot by Pam MacGregor |
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Tea on Thursday 18 : Chinese Tea Poetry
"Garden Party" tag inspired by a poem by Wang Wei. |
Softly closing the chamber door,
Alone I await you in the empty room.
You never came.
Disappointed, I drink solitary tea. - Wang Wei: An Occasional Poem
During the last year, I have been reading a lot about tea, and especially poetry inspired by tea.
This little verse by Wang Wei is amongst my favourites. However, the most well known tea poem of the same period in Chinese history was written by Lu Tong , a hermit, who was so moved by a gift of tea that he wrote :
The first cup kisses away my thirst,
and my loneliness is quelled by the second,
The third gives insight worthy of ancient scrolls,
and the fourth exiles my troubles,
My body becomes lighter with the fifth,
and the sixth sends word from the immortals,
But the seventh - of the seventh cup -
If I drink you, a wind will hurry my wings toward the sacred island .
—Lu Tong (795-835 A.D.) (trans. Christopher Nelson*)
Did he drink the seventh cup?
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Tea on Thursday 17 : Tea Bag Stitching
Some experiments of stitching on tea bags ... The one in the middle was attached to organza and waxed before stitching, but I don't like the prominent needle marks and I wrecked a needle. I am happy with the others -left, Lipton black ; right - Cranberry and Apple tea.
Did you know that tea bags were invented at the turn of the twentieth century by an American tea merchant, Thomas Sullivan who used to send his customers samples of tea in tins, until he started to cut costs by sending single serves of tea in silk pouches. To his amazement, the pouches were very popular when his customers began to drop the whole pouch and contents into a teapot, marvelling at the convenience of making tea with a bag. Soon the accidental invention of the tea bag became popular especially in the USA and in Europe. The first mass produced tea bags were made from fine cotton gauze or muslin, and in the 1950's these were replaced with the paper tea bag. And as they say, the rest is history. Today, Most of the tea consumed is brewed using tea bags. ( Source- Hohenegger, Beatrice: Liquid Jade)
Did you know that tea bags were invented at the turn of the twentieth century by an American tea merchant, Thomas Sullivan who used to send his customers samples of tea in tins, until he started to cut costs by sending single serves of tea in silk pouches. To his amazement, the pouches were very popular when his customers began to drop the whole pouch and contents into a teapot, marvelling at the convenience of making tea with a bag. Soon the accidental invention of the tea bag became popular especially in the USA and in Europe. The first mass produced tea bags were made from fine cotton gauze or muslin, and in the 1950's these were replaced with the paper tea bag. And as they say, the rest is history. Today, Most of the tea consumed is brewed using tea bags. ( Source- Hohenegger, Beatrice: Liquid Jade)
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