Pottery - Tea Vessel of Choice!

Tea is the beverage of choice of the 21st century, and the vessels used for steeping and serving are fast beyond measure. The world is a large place.  From antiquity the vessels used for boiling, steeping and drinking tea morph from culture to culture.  What is true of all; they would have used a pottery at some point in their past. 

Pottery can be termed earthenware, stoneware or porcelain. Modern materials have included metal-ware, glassware and plastic (perhaps more).  They all have their pros and cons.  I've owned them all and have developed a taste for each one respectively (except for anything containing plastic).  Above all though, I have to tip the hat to the pottery hand. 

Pottery has always been pure of impurities, easy to clean, resistant to breakage, comfortable to hold, thick enough to hold a temperature but not too long.   Its aesthetic appearance can be skillfully arranged with bold to delicate features, controlled masterfully with glazes which blend together to form an appearance akin to an artists palette.   Every piece is uniquely distinct.  The finishing movement of the potters hands can be seen in the rich glaze. 

The history of the pottery is long before we can recall, or find record of (no doubt).  I remember my friend who lived in the exact town where Jesus of had lived.  Because of excavation, he was able to crawl under a stone to discover some old aged pottery, most likely dated 2000 years old.  I picked up a piece of worn pottery that had been eroded in lake Huron for long years - no way of knowing exactly how long it had been there.  These are just personal reflections, but was all know even Sumerian record 6000 BCE isn't even the beginning by our best guesses. 

I'm proud to have an Aunt who has cherished this gift she has.  She owns a pottery Studio in Algoma Mills, Ontario - just off Highway 17. Her work embodies careful craftsmanship and unique glazes in combinations I can only compare to a work on canvas.  My kitchen will not be complete until I have it completed with her work!   You'll understand why I'm being praiseworthy. 

Recent bead I received from her - love this glaze!

Over my Tea Cup

Over my Tea Cup.

by Charles J. Everett

This homely can of painted tin
Is casket precious in my eyes;
Its withered fragrant leaves within,
Beyond all costly gems I prize.

For in those crumpled leaves of tea,
The sunbeams of long summer days,
The song of bird, the hum of bee,
The cricket's evening hymn of praise,

The gorgeous colors of sunrise,
The joy that greets each new-born day;
The glowing tints of sunset's skies,
The calm that comes with evening grey;

The chatter of contented toil,
The merry laugh of childish glee,
The tonic virtues of the soil,
Were caught and gathered with the tea.

Lifeless those withered leaves may seem,
Locked fast in slumber deep as death,
But soon the kettle's boiling steam
May rouse to life their fragrant breath.

With sigh of deep content we breathe
The sweet mists rising lazily,
With eager, parted lips receive
the first ambrosial taste of tea.

For light and warmth and mood of men,
Whate'er the plant hath heard or seen
Or felt, while fixed in field or fen,
And stored within its depths serene,

Are now transmuted into thrills
Of sense or feeling, echoes faint
From peaceful perfumed tea-clad hills,
From placid Orientals quaint.

And fancies born in other lands,
Which dormant lie in magic tea,
Dream-castles fair not made with hands,
By some mysterious alchemy

Emerge from cloudland into sight,
Transform the sombre working-world,
The gloomy hours of day or night
From leaden hue to tint of gold,

Bring rest to wearied heart and brain,
Kind nature's soul to us reveal,
Enlarge the realm of Fancy's reign,
Renew the power to see and feel

The radiance of the rising sun,
The sunset's glow, the moon's pale light,
The promise of a day begun,
The rest from toil that comes with night.

And as I sip my cup of tea,
Though not a friend may be in sight,
I know that a brave company
Is taking tea with me this night.

Antiques

Welcome tea lovers!

I have a confession to make.  I get a real kick outta antique shops.  I picked up this amazing 1920 or so looking-glass from Sandy's Attic in Spragge which is a stunning tabletop piece recently.  Love it.  But there is note only 1 - but 2 antiques shops in Spragge!  Low and behold, I went to North Shore Antiques & Storage to find a emporium of antique tea paraphernalia.  I picked up this tea kettle and brasso'd it till it shone, and voila!  Keep your eyes peeled.   The older the better I say - character cannot be faked.