A tea pet is a small ceramic figurine that tea lovers keep on the tea table for good luck during the tea ceremony. Some tea masters believe that when we adopt a tea pet, it has no soul. By pouring tea, which has a soul, over it, we give a soul to our little pet as well.
Any liquid from the ceremony can be used to pour over or feed the pet: the water used to preheat the cups, the liquid from the first rinse of the leaves, or leftover tea from each infusion. The liquid should be poured evenly over the figurine. Uneven application will result in a mottled appearance. Once it dries, it can be handled freely.
Tea pets are made from Zisha or Yixing clay from the region near Yixing in Jiangsu Province, China. Like Yixing teapots made from the same clay, tea pets are unglazed and are generally a single color with a rough surface. A tea pet is usually placed on the tea table and tea is poured over it during the ceremony. Because the figurines are unglazed, they absorb some of the tea, causing them to change color over time and take on the tea’s aroma. The clay pores fill with tea residue, while additional layers of tea create a sheen on the surface.
Clay tea pets originated in Yixing during China’s Yuan Dynasty in the 13th century. Yixing is famous for its clay, known as Zisha, and its teaware. Like Zisha teapots, small figurines made from Yixing clay are porous and unglazed and absorb liquid very well.
Yixing County is known as China’s pottery capital because of its 6,500-year history. The area has abundant sources of clay, tea, bamboo, and charcoal, each of which provides an important basic material for pottery production. Yixing Zisha products have won numerous awards in China and abroad, and several exceptional works have been presented as national gifts in international diplomacy.
Caring for the figurines is similar to caring for a Yixing clay teapot. Leftover tea or the water used to rinse the leaves is usually poured over the pet, and a tea brush is used to wipe the surface so it absorbs the tea more easily and evenly. The figurines are rinsed only with water, without cleaning agents, to ensure the gradual deepening of the tea color. After months or years of care, the pet will absorb the tea and develop a shinier appearance.
