New toys!

My o-so-thoughtful husband is becoming increasingly responsible for the increasing number of teapots that I posses. I think – count ‘em – I think I have seven now: glass; orange (that one’s at work); green Beehouse; Yixing; Chinesey looking one with brown leaves and red berries; blue Crown Lynn; and – most recently - this beautiful Japanese one with blue leaves, and its two matching cups, that T gave me for Valentines Day.

I’ve used this one a few times already for (what else?) Japanese sencha (the organic one from from T2) and it’s a stunner; it pours perfectly and the mesh infuser inside is a decent size - not to mention that its rim is made from plastic, so I don't burn my fingers when I'm removing it from the pot! I wouldn’t want to brew a tea whose leaves end up enormous with this (or any other) infuser, but for the fine-cut leaves of sencha it works beautifully. It's hard to see under the pattern, but the side of the pot is actually very slightly ridged, so it has a lovely textural feel to it as well. The pale yellow-green of the infusion goes well against the pale greeny-grey of the cups’ interior.

Isn’t it funny how greeny-grey can be so charming in ceramic wares, and yet so off-putting in other circumstances, like food, for example? Something to ponder, at any rate.

I also received this dinky little Japanese gaiwan-style… well, gaiwan… I suppose, for want of a better word. It doesn’t have a saucer like a traditional Chinese gaiwan and is not quite the same shape. I have been googling and googling but am unable to determine what it might properly be called. But I’ve been using it in a similar type of way to a gaiwan to brew small quantities of tea for repeat infusions. It’s quite easy to hold, although I will admit to using two hands, one for the bowl and one for the lid (I believe proper tea masters can manipulate a gaiwan with only one hand?). I just adore the flowers pattern on the side and the lid, it cheers me up just to look at it! 

It’s pictured here in close up with some of the T2 oolong that my husband also gave me, for Christmas. Anyone who can tell me what it's called, I'd be most grateful.

I shall be posting about both these T2 teas at another time, but soon!

Oh, and I realised that I forgot to post a picture of the Yixing pot which I bought from Zensation the other week. I used it for the first time today (felt a little intimidated by the whole Yixing/gong fu thing, but I got over it!). Isn't it a beauty? And I just adore the little goldfish on the cup!