Tea Served in a Kyusu -Yixing & Tokoname, Sweet Aroma & Flavor

With the popularity of plastic bottles, the custom of brewing tea in a teapot has become a thing of the past for many people. At the same time, interest in Japanese tea is experiencing a revival as people learn more about different varieties of tea and the regions where they are produced. The process of making tea provides a respite from our busy lives, inviting us to relax in a different time and space. In brewing a pot of tea - dropping the tea leaves in, pouring hot water over the leaves, waiting a few moments, and pouring the tea into cups - the teapot plays an essential role. Modern teapots come in a variety of styles and materials, including ceramic, glass, and metal, but most of their forms are derived from Chinese Yixing teapots. Among Japanese people, the Yixing region is well known for its teapots. In particular, deeply colored "purple clay" Yixing teapots have been favored by connoisseurs in Qing dynasty China, Kyoto and Edo in Japan, and Europe. Although colors and shapes have changed over the generations, teapots are as much a part of our culture as the practice of drinking tea itself. Tokoname potters, influenced by Yixing ware, began making teapots in the later part of the Edo period, and today Tokoname has grown into one of the most important teapot-producing regions in Japan. This exhibition introduces some 60 teapots from Yixing and Tokoname, inviting viewers to experience the magic of these utensils that enrich the act of drinking tea.

INAX MUSEUMS

China Yixing Ceramic Musuem・China Yixing Zisha-ware Museum