The Ritual of sharing a cup of tea is a intimate bonding experience

between two or more people. In traditional Chinese Tea

culture the materiality of the tea pot is very important to the overall

experience. In high-end pots, a rare type of clay known as Yixing

Clay is used. This clay body is incredibly porous which allows the

clay itself to be infused with tea, providing a depth of flavor after

many years of use. Ancient Yixing Pots have become brittle and

therefore must be washed daily in tea in order not to crack. In this

way the clay has become as intimate with its owner as the ritual of

sharing a cup of tea.

 

In designing this table promoting intimacy was a main goal.

It was designed for two people seated physically close together

and the Yixing Clay inserts require the user to be intimate with the

table as well as the person they are sharing it with. The daily

washing of the clay with tea overtime will become as intimate and

ritualistic of an experience as sharing a cup of tea.

This piece was produced as a final for Sophomore Studio Practice in the Furniture Design program at the Rhode Island School of Design.  This studio class provides an in-depth study of woodworking with hand tools, with limited use of machines.

Orthographic and isometric drawings of project created in AutoCAD.  Final piece was printed on watercolor paper and toned by hand.

Presenting my piece in the final critique, displayed with finished presentation drawings and an authentic Yixing clay teapot.