Tu Sa teapots, which originated from China, are not only used for tea preparation, but also are ceramic works of art. Artisan Vuong Manh Tuan in the ancient pottery village of Bat Trang in Hanoi successfully makes these types of teapots.
The hobby of drinking tea has existed for a long time in Vietnam. However, until Chinese tea was sold in Vietnam, it became popular and was even mentioned in some literary works. Writer Nguyen Tuan, who is famous for the writing collection “Echo and Shadow Upon a Time” about the refined customs of the Vietnamese people, wrote a short story titled “A Cup of Tea in The Morning Dew” to describe the rules for drinking tea.
The secret of making Tu Sa teapots is the technique for mixing the clay.
Teapots and teacups are formed using gypsum moulds.
Shaping a teapot on the turning pottery wheel.
Creating the shape of a teapot.
Cleaning rough teapots before enameling.
Making Tu Sa teapots requires sophisticated techniques.
Artisan Vuong Manh Tuan instructs a young worker on the techniques needed to make Tu Sa teapots. |
Over the years, the Vietnamese people have preserved the art and turned it into a common cultural feature in their daily lives. In recent years, Tu Sa teapots have become the favourite choice of Vietnamese tea enthusiasts due to the teapot’s artistic and cultural values.
To learn more about the history Tu Sa teapots, we went to Bat Trang where we met Tuan who has spent several years researching and making this type of teapot in Vietnam.
Tuan said that the Tu Sa teapots originated from Yixing, Jiangsu Province in China, where there was a special red clay to make the teapots. He added that no one in Vietnam knows exactly when the Tu Sa teapots were brought into the country but tea connoisseurs in Hanoi in the past knew how to use it.
Artisan Vuong Manh Tuan designs Tu Sa teapots.
Tu Sa teapots are believed to help the tea have fine colouration and the scent of tea lasts for a long time.
The tea in Tu Sa cups looks greener and purer than in other kinds of cups.
A set of a Tu Sa teapot decorated with bronze. |
To make a Tu Sa teapot, it requires many difficult stages, each showing the meticulous care of the craftsman. The materials, kiln temperature and the gloss of Tu Sa teapots are different from other teapots, which create unusual features and have great artistic values.
According to Tuan, the clay to make a Tu Sa teapot is purple and can be found in Vietnam. However, the artisans must have wide knowledge about the soil and know how to blend the materials. The temperature in the kiln must reach 1,2000c. Therefore, the teapots give off clear sounds when being beaten by a hard object.
Using a Tu Sa teapot helps the tea have fine colouration. The fragrance of the tea and the hot temperature of the water can last for a long time. The more the teapot is used, the more beautiful and shiny it becomes. For this reason, some tea-tasting groups often talk lot about the interesting stories and the history of Tu Sa teapots while enjoying their tea. Some of them believe that when using Tu Sa teapots for tea preparation, they not only feel the quintessence of tea, its fragrance and taste, but also see the talent of the artisans.
Nowadays because the art of drinking tea in Vietnam has been further promoted, the Tu Sa teapots have become an indispensable tool for tea gourmets.
Story: Ngan Ha - Photos: Cong Dat