Tea set

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A tea set, in the Western tradition is a suite of dishes sold in a group for use at afternoon tea or a formal tea party.

Tea sets vary greatly in quality and price, from inexpensive mass produced items to high end, limited edition items. The finest tea sets are made by well known manufacturers of porcelain (usually called "china" or "bone china" when referring to dishes, from the country of origin). Another opulent tea set is the silver tea service, a formal tea set made of sterling silver, although again, mass produced sets in silverplate abound.

Items in a tea set:

• teapot
• teacup and saucer
• sugar bowl
• milk pitcher also known as a creamer or jug

in addition, a formal tea service would include:

• coffee pot
• hot water pot
• slop bowl
• tray

The accepted history of the tea set begins in China during the Han Dynasty (206-220 B.C.). At this time, tea ware was made of porcelain and consisted of two styles: a northern white porcelain and a southern light blue porcelain. It's important to understand that these ancient tea sets were not the creamer/sugar bowl companions we know today. Rather, as is stated in a third century A.D. written document from China, tea leaves were pressed into cakes or bricks. These patties were then crushed and mixed with a variety of spices, including orange, ginger, onions, and flower petals. Hot water was poured over the mixture, which was both heated and served in bowls, not teapots. The bowls were multi-purpose, and used for a variety of cooking needs. In this period, evidence suggests that tea was mainly used as a medicinal elixir, not as a daily drink for pleasure's sake.

It is in the Song Dynasty (960-1279 A.D.) that historians believe the world saw the birth of the teapot. An archaeological dig turned up an ancient kiln which contained the remnants of a Yixing teapot. Yixing teapots, called Zi Sha Hu in China and Purple Sand teapots in the U.S., are perhaps the most famous teapots the world has ever known. They are named for a tiny city located in the Jiangsu Provence, where a specific compound of iron ore results in the unique coloration of these teapots. Exquisite ceramic teapots and tea bowls date to the Song Dynasty in glazes of brown, black, and blue. A bamboo whisk was employed to beat the tea into a frothy confection highly prized by the Chinese.

• From the article, Tea Set History, by Miriam Ellis,2006 http://www.teasetshop.com/teasethistory.shtml

Tea Set is also the name of a musical group founded by future members of Pink Floyd

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