Now there is no denying that I am a Teaware addict. I have found that when people start to collect enough pieces of teaware they start to come up with themes. While I don't have any definite themes when it comes to Sencha yet, my gyokuro set ups are getting rather poetic names, which I think are easily understandable when you view them. Above is a somewhat new set up, which I honestly can not help but call Heaven and Hell. From the volcanic, ultra rough near black guinomi, to the soft and fluffy cloud looking white Houhin, they stand out against each other as stark opposites.
Now the houhin makes an appearance in my other named Gyokuro setup, which I know has been seen many times before on this blog. It is named White out, and is a favorite set up of mine to use on a winter day during or shortly after a decent sized snowstorm.
In my understanding it is not unusual for teaware to be given nicknames. In fact I know of several people that like to give English nicknames to their pieces because they have a very loose understanding of the Japanese name given to the piece by the artist, or sometimes the artist gives a name that is so literal it loses its fun. I mean "Blue yunomi" or "Three Colored Glaze Yunomi" while it tells you the glaze and the type of cup, it seems to lack character.
But these themed tea set ups I find rather interesting. Like the artisan teaware I use, I help they feel you enjoy the tea, even if they do not make the tea better in a literal sense. Simply put by stimulating other senses in the mind with pleasing images and thoughts they help transfer those thoughts over into the experience of the tea you are drinking. This while not making the tea literally taste better, does at least give the appearance of the tea tasting better.
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