Collections of China National Tea Museum

Located in Hangzhou, China National Tea Museum is the only national museum dedicated to tea and tea culture. At present, China National Tea Museum is divided into two branches. The Shuangfeng branch, located at 88 Longjing Road, covers an area of 4.7 hectares. It opened to the public in April 1991. The Longjing branch, located at 268 Wengjiashan, covers 7.7 hectares and opened to the public in May 2015. With a total construction area of about 13,000 square meters, the two museums integrate cultural exhibitions, scientific popularization, scientific research, academic exchange, tea art training, interactive experiences, tea tasting, catering, conference affairs, leisure, and other service functions. They serve as an exhibition and exchange center for tea culture in China and the world, and a tea culture-themed tourism complex.

Collections:

Primitive Porcelain Bowl with String Patterns (Spring and Autumn Period)

Primitive porcelain first appeared in the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and it became very mature in the Spring and Autumn Period. The traces (string patterns) left while molding on the inner wall of the porcelain bowl have also become one of the important features for identifying porcelain from the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. In Lu Yu's "The Classic of Tea - Nine Things", there is a record of Yanzi drinking tea in the Spring and Autumn Period.

Bronze Cauldron with Beast-Shaped Handles (Han Dynasty)

It features a constricted lip opening, a drooping belly, and a rounded base. There are two handles near the opening, which are designed to be in the shape of two chi dragons. The horns of the dragons face inward; the heads of the dragons stretch outward; the bodies of the dragons are circular; and the tails of the dragons are upturned. The design appears to be agile and the design concept is ingenious.

In the "Tongyue" written by Wang Bao of the Han Dynasty, there are already records of "cooking tea after washing tea sets" and "coming to Wuyang to buy good tea". Back then, tea was mostly brewed. This bronze tea cauldron was one of the important tea-making utensils of the time, showing the tea-drinking life of the Han Dynasty. 

The White-Glazed Tea Set (Tang Dynasty)

The white-glazed tea set, unearthed in Luoyang, Henan province, consists of a tea mill, a tea stove, a tea cauldron, and a teacup on a saucer.

This tea grinder is made of porcelain and is rectangular with a narrow deep groove inside. The grinding wheel is in the shape of a disk with a hole in the center and is usually attached to a shaft. The grinder and the grinding wheel are unglazed, and the rest are covered with white glaze.

The ground tea powder needs to be boiled in the tea cauldron on the stove. This white-glazed clay stove and the tea cauldron are used for making tea. The clay stove is in the shape of a cylinder with a round furnace door. The tea cauldron has two handles, and the boiled tea is scooped out with a teaspoon into the tea cup on a saucer for drinking.