Origin: Dehua, Jiangshu, China

Material: Caisha Tao

Net weight: 121 g

Dimensions: 9.2 cm x 5.5 cm

Caisha Tao is a kind of natural, environmentally friendly material consisting of purple clay and colored glaze. This pig is made of this clay whose surface is grainy, and with a longer time of pouring and socializing with tea, it will show us a new, different side.

This charming naïve pig wears a blue cardigan-style jacket with two Chinese words “加油 (Jia You, which means Come)” on his chest. With a vivid expression and action, he transmits positive energy to his owner.

Located in Fujian Province, Dehua County is famous for its porcelain and ceramics and is an important base for porcelain exports to China. With more than a thousand years of history, Dehua porcelain is characterized by its elegant design, exquisite craftsmanship, hard texture, and watery white appearance.

An old Chinese saying says that “gentle fire creates sweet malt”. This also applies to pouring tea over pets, which can “educate” them.  It is necessary to pour tea over them during the ceremony to feed them. As the color matures more and more with time and more overflows, pets become a permanent part of the Gongfu set.

Any liquid from the ceremony can be used for pouring, i.e. feeding the pet: the water used to originally heat the cups, the liquid from the first rinsing of the leaves, or the remains of tea from each soaking. It is necessary to evenly pour the liquid over the figurine. Uneven application will result in a spotted appearance. After it dries, it can be touched freely.

A tea pet (tea pet) is a small ceramic figurine that tea lovers hold for good luck on a coffee table during a tea ceremony. Some tea masters believe that when we adopt a tea pet, it has no soul. Pouring tea (which has a soul), we also give a soul to our little pet. Similar to teapots made of clay, tea pets are unglazed and are mostly monochromatic with a rough surface. It is usually placed on the tea table and poured with tea during the tea ceremony. Since the figurines are not glazed, they absorb some of the tea, which results in them changing color over time and absorbing the smell of tea. The pores of the clay are filled with tea residues, and additional layers result in the formation of shine on the surface.

The maintenance of the figurines is similar to that of a clay teapot. Residues of tea or water for rinsing the leaves are usually poured over the teapot, and the surface is wiped with a tea brush to absorb the tea more easily and evenly. The figurines are just rinsed with water without the use of cleaning agents to ensure a progressive increase in the color of the tea. After prolonged maintenance, over months or years, our pet will absorb the tea, and its appearance will become brighter.