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... t, it was introduced in small quantities and, as usually is the case with high demand products, was initially available only to the very wealthy. Just as important were the unique wares in which this beverage was prepared and consumed. Tea soon became a status symbol among the upper class and nobility; even portraits were commissioned portraying a family sitting down to take tea showing their wealth and good taste.
The portraits also note porcelain cups with silver tea service (Emmerson plate 2) showed how the tiny tea bowl was held depending upon individual preference. Some were held by the thumb and fingers with the thumb on the foot ring, while others held it only by the foot ring, and another position showing an individual holding it as a bowl cupped within the hand. Many of these portraits show only porcelain cups with full silver services while others show a complete porcelain tea set without the silver. The later was the result of the wars during the reigns of both French kings, Louis the XIV and Louis XV. These monarchs ordered the melting down of all silver in order to fund their foreign wars (Emerson, 1991 28).
The population was left with one alternative, porcelain to replace the lost silver pots and other equipage for tea services. Chinese porcelain or Yixing stoneware were beyond the ability of the English craftsmen. Due to the status afforded this ceramic ware, the English craftsmen were determine to imitate them, however, the only material worthy of this status was silver, and handleless silver tea bowls were unacceptable. Patrons, therefore, preferring not to burn their fingers, used porcelain or stoneware tea bowls in conjunction with silver pots (Emerson, 1992 2 - 3). Export ware from China altered somewhat once the Chinese realized the potential of this market. There were many variations of the tea bowls but the most interesting fact was that the Chinese craftsmen began to imitate the silver ware of Europe.
Another influence to the teapot design, which came later as exportation with Europe evolved, were the silver vessels used as patterns by the Chinese. They conscientiously duplicated the many European silver body styles as the exported tea pots became popular. In viewing all the lovely tea ware one can see that the decoration preferences ranged from the beautiful white with blue underglaze's to the Ming dynasty Swatow ware porcelain bowls with flower and bird designs with glazed enamels and gold. The reproduction of European figures on porcelain saucers was a favored scene along with the beautiful flowers and other designs done with the Famille rose overgrazed enamels and gilt of the Qing dynasty.
In conjunction with porcelain cream jugs, cups, saucers, and dishes in violet and yellow glaze enamels, there were demands for more of the white porcelain and "red" porcelain. These "red" porcelain wares were actually Yixing red stoneware (Honey 63). All these were produced for export for the European market. However, the British were enamored with the Oriental exotic and promptly adopted the Chinese styles in tea ware. These were very expensive and like nothing they had available locally.
It mattered little that the tea bowls had no handles, in fact, very probably the uniqueness of the lack of a handle added to the allure. The pots and tea bowls initially imported along with the tea found an avid consumer at the other end. The English had never seen such beautiful ceramics before and although porcelain was highly prized, it was the "red porcelain" or Yixing stoneware that were the first teapots imported for use with tea shipments. Ironically, these Yixing pots were not considered valuable by the shippers because they came with the tea trade goods and it was discovered that these dark stoneware ceramics were better than the European earthenware. When hard paste porcelain was developed at Meissen, Germany, the oriental monopoly on porcelain wares was finally broken (Sand 11 - 12).
As for the use of handles on cups... the importers found that the handleless cups were excellent ballast for their tea. It took up very little room and held the precious tea cargo above the water lines of the ships during the voyages. These tea wares were far superior to anything the Europeans had and the shippers found that they were as valued as the tea when society latched onto the "strange" ceramics accompanying their tea. The English clamored for the imported tea ware, which probably gave rise to the importers placing orders with the Chinese for more. As usual, supply and demand economics was a strong incentive for the Chinese to provide more tea ware for import.
Due to the increase in demand, they took to duplicating the silverware pots of Europe in making the teapot bodies, even though they maintained their own design in the tea bowl. It is necessary to mention that as they imitated European wares for importation, the cup underwent a change and received a handle reminiscent of those silver coffee and posset cups used throughout Europe. This typical merchandising cycle is what lead to the duplication of the silverware and drinking cups of Europe by the Chinese. The variations in designs are from the fanciful to the very plain, but in the tea ware that was imported there was also included many beautiful Chinese porcelain tea pots and bowls.
In contrast, the English never really developed their own style for the tea ware until after porcelain was discovered in Meissen, Germany. There are several observations that need to be made here and one was that once tea ware was popular in England, many English potters or guilds began duplicating them. One such duplication is the Every StokeonTrent teapot of 1695. This particular teapot was probably reproduced in earthenware and a dark brown slip applied to make the surface appear similar to the unglazed glowing surface of the Yixing teapots. There are many examples of fine tea ware but some of the most notable were the Delftware such as the Frazackerly type out of Liverpool in 1750 which boasted cups without handles and saucers, toy tea services in tin glazed earthenware, brown salt glazed teapots; Lows toft soft paste tea ware out of Chelsea; Jasper tea ware sets which were from Wedgewood out of Staffordshire; Worcester enameled porcelain teapots and, not to be left out, the unusual such as the famous Cauliflower ware teapots from Wedgewood in Whieldon.
The Chinese tea bowl never had a handle but in Chinese literature, the Yanfanlu (or Elaboration on Luxuriant Dew), there is a paragraph that states that a tea bowl stand appears in the Tang dynasty when "the daughter of Cui Ning drank tea, she was often disgusted by the hot tea bowl which scorched her fingers. She took a plate and melted wax in it, " (K. S. Lo 15) placing the tea bowl into the melted wax. The simple expedient of fitting the tea bowl into the wax not only allowed the holding of the tea bowl without burning the drinker's fingers, but also stabilized the tea bowl preventing spillage. It followed soon after, that lacquer bowl holders were made and a new tea implement was born (Users II: 447).
It wasn't long before these bowl holders were reproduced in clay and became a part of the design of the tea bowl. The bowl holders are the forerunners of the teacup handle and saucer if viewed from this perspective. The Chinese developed the bowl holder in lacquer ware, they put a ring on the bottom of the tea bowl and once this was accomplished it wasn't long before many different styles of holders came into being. The variety is endless and we see it as early as 960 A. D. in the various Ting Yao porcelain cup stands from the Song dynasty.
There were Ru ware bowl stands from the Northern Song dynasty, Yongle cup stands with white glazes, Yingqing porcelain cups with stands and many more than can be included here. It is an easy step from this cup stand to the handle and saucer. We see saucers, as well as handles on teacups, as part of the tea ware the Chinese reproduced for export. Handleless cups in English tea cup designs were evidence of the desire of the English to emulate the tea bowls of the Chinese. Chamberlain's factory at Worcester made a porcelain tea set around 1795 - 1800 where none of the cups had handles but the saucers were reminiscent of small bowls with cup rings in the center to hold the cup steady. There is a an account offered about the idea of tea being drunk from a dish or saucer in Robin Emerson's British Teapots and Tea Drinking which says: The saucer seems to have perplexed our ancestors at the time of its first introduction; its first use was believed to be merely to cool the tea, and then it was unfashionable to drink from the cup; at a later time the use of the saucer was understood to be confined to saving slops, and thence forward the cup alone was to have the honour of being raised to the lips (19).
Regardless of the developments, we can deduce that the adoption of tea by the Chinese was an outside influence changed to fit their own society. Likewise we see the exportation of tea to England adopted from an outside influence. Both societies developed tea "ceremonies" to ritualize the drinking of this beverage and because of its beneficial nature, tea became more than just a medicinal concoction. Although each society viewed the taking of tea differently, and the initial motivations were at opposite ends of the scales, both had high regard for the beverage and the vessels used. Similarly, in the very early stages the high cost of the tea plant gave access to only the very elite and wealthy. China mass produced tea for all her society and as the prices fell, the lower classes benefited.
However, in England, the nobility and wealthy were highly agitated over the fact that the lower classes could have access to something they regarded as theirs alone. The decrease in price brought about a major change in how the English viewed what became their national beverage. Not surprising their societal infrastructure also changed and followed in the footsteps of the Chinese... open to all their people.
The English went a step farther by developing their own tea plantations in British India, Java, Sumatra and Ceylon and with the enterprising opportunities being seized by their ceramists, the exportation prices of tea and tea ware dropped, as mass production and new ceramic materials were developed. As the English took this tea issue to a different level, strictures regarding women taking tea in public changed when industrious individuals opened new types of establishments such as "Tea Gardens" and the strict codes changed. As did the character of the tea ceremony. Britain developed afternoon tea and a different social activity sprang up around this. In reviewing the styles, shapes and decorations on the variety of tea ware it is obvious that when mass produced the ware underwent a dramatic change and was no longer the high quality of the earlier, individually made pieces. This is not surprising as it occurs in all areas that go into mass production.
We can even see it in the blends of the teas that came about when the various British exporters attempted to create a tea that would be lower in cost to the black and green teas of China but maintain the quality of the leaf. This took time and eventually, although a very good blend of teas emerged, they could not compare to the original teas exported from China. The English, however, were able to improve on their own ceramic industry, especially after porcelain was discovered in Germany. We can see an improvement in their ware over time. There will always be those pieces unique and wonderfully crafted, as well as the mass produced ware, and these will always be in high demand among those who cherish fine ceramics no matter the form. We still see evidences of fine craftsmanship coming from China but not of the quality of those very early beautiful ceramics that held the world in awe.
Much of this change is probably due to the change in the economic, political and social atmosphere within the country over the years. Bibliography:
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