jeff dayu shi adapts ancient chinese tea culture for contemporary use

jeff dayu shi adapts ancient chinese tea culture for contemporary use
L58 x W24 x H85 cm

the well-established chinese tea culture is restored by jeff dayu shi (founder of dragonfly design center), who was commissioned by guanfu museum founder mr. ma weidu, to adapt the fading tradition for contemporary times for practice by a new generation. through a series of nine unique teapots and a highly crafted bamboo chest, shi re-envisions the way in which the naturally infused hot drink is prepared and served. housed in a bamboo chest, nine unique hand-crafted teapots are tailored to facilitate an assortment of nine different teas, and their accompanying preparation styles.

‘yun yu’

each vessel is crafted by experienced masters, shaped by hand on a potter’s wheel with the resulting forms expressing a robust and dense shape; while actually being extremely delicate to the touch. the clay used to create the pieces provides not only structural but functional purposes, containing minerals that neutralize tea polyphenols, adding extra fragrant tastes to the hot beverage. the interior of the teapot has a beehive structure with tiny sesame-sized openings, which assist in the filtering of the liquid from the leaves, further enhancing the flavors.

‘chan jing’

what can be additionally noted on an aesthetic level is the effect of color transformation seen on the exterior surface of the teapots — a result of substance change in the kiln during the heat and curing treatment. these accidental occurrences are managed by the skilled craftsmen who employ their years of experience and advanced techniques to create an appearance that expresses a unique sense of charm to each object.

‘chan jing’ (detail)

‘song feng’

‘shan zhi’

‘qian ri’

‘shu xiang’

‘hong qun’

‘han yu’

filter of ‘han yu’ with sesame-sized perforations which separate the liquid from the leaves with ease

‘wang yan’

detailed bamboo chest for housing the set of ‘guanfu 9’ teapots

the detailed bamboo chest crafted to house the ‘guanfu 9’ elaborates on shi’s desire to transform a traditional chinese tiered handle case, into a contemporary storage, display and transport implement. made from bamboo, the elegant exterior contains intricate mechanisms that accommodate the different shapes and forms of the teapots. nine compartments of varying sizes and depths, are actually individual cases that are tightly compiled and stacked, joined only by traditional hand-made slide tracks and mortise and tenon techniques. the back of each box is signed with a character that draws on chinese calligraphy and folklore, in which people count the arrival of spring by marking nine characters with nine strokes. ‘cup’, ‘clarity’, ‘tea’, ‘fragrance’, ‘density’, ‘regard’, ‘calm’, ‘taste’ and ‘guest’ are exhibited, forming a tea rhyme, collectively serving to reflect the delights of the classic tea culture and associated drinking rituals.

the back of each teapot box is a character, collectively forming a tea rhyme

profoundly influenced by the individual beauty of shi’s teapots, guanfu selected nine ancient tea poems that have been partnered with each of his designs. their significance has been chosen to compliment the functionality and methods of tea-making of the pot in which they have been assigned to. this prose can be found on the inside of each of the compartments.

the individual boxes can be disassembled from the larger framework

a lateral view will show a hill-like surface, however beneath the graceful surface is a carefully thought-out apparatus where each individual case slides to open to different directions. removing the bamboo frame atop the cases by disengaging the tenon joints near the carrying handle easily allows all compartments to be dissembled. this sophisticated design achieved perfect balance where the uniqueness of each hand-crafted cases are housed in a harmonized collation.

each of the compartments can be disengaged and used independently