" MORIAGE TEA "

" RAINDROPS KEEP FALLING ON MY HEAD ", as the  garden drinks up the much needed droplets of water that is  quenching  it's  thirst ...  I'm just sitting here humming that old song and trying to decide what to pack for my trip to Vancouver. My mother-in-law will be celebrating her 98th birthday soon.

 

 Sweet Peggy is rising to the occasion, setting a goal for herself to be able to attend a Chinese supper out of her hospital room, where she is recuperating from a broken pelvis, poor dear ... However, she wants to make the effort, so we

are accommodating her wishes.

Today, as I prepare for the journey, I'm settling into a nice cup of tea and a teatime chat with
 all of you lovely ladies.... WELCOME.

I have quite a large collection of Japanese tea sets, collected, while living in Japan.

Throughout the years, I have visited many Asian pottery areas that   have been in existence, for over 500 years ... It is so enlightening, to  experience and realize the artistry and history of Japanese folk arts and crafts. 

There is nothing particularly special about today's tea set except, the pretty motif, the colour black, the fluted pedestal on the bottom of the cup and ... of  course, the the price tag ... five dollars !!!!

                        " WAIT A MINUTE " 

             That's a whole lot of special ( ha ha)...
 plus, it has an extra wide mouth, which means, 
                                  MORE
                         tea,in the teacup.

The teapot is another matter ... It was found in a dusty old, broken down store, at the side of the road, laying on a earthen floor, amongst a myriad of other vintage piece ...  each unique, different and with a history. I think, it was the glimmer of gold gilding that caught my eye, as the dust on it was at least two inches thick ... Once,  I got it home, I realized,  that it was a handpainted, Satsuma Moriage teapot.

Moriage is a term used to describe the fine and delicate layering or placing of clay pieces of pottery. The type of clay that is used for this method is known as 'slip' and is thicker and stickier that the clay used for the actual item.

Centuries ago,the Japanese potters were enthused with this method and used it to create many brilliant designs. This beautiful  technique and method of decorating, is now used extensively, all over the world... however the vintage pieces are most lovely.

 In the case of Satsuma pottery, the clay is often added in small circles or bumps to decorate the piece.  On Moriage pottery,  you will often see raised dots and designs artistically painted in different colours ... These are the moriage layers that are built up slowly as the piece is made and fired during each layer ... then, more raised areas are added before the piece is finished.

These raised areas  add to the overall design, making them more decorative and unique compared to just a painted piece of pottery. The combination of hand painted designs, moriage and beading make some of the Satsuma pieces very collectible and valuable. One must be so careful when washing a teapot or pottery with this type of decoration, as over time it could be easily damaged.

Most of the time, this teapot sits in the china cabinet, but today, I wanted to share my dusty old antique with you, before packing it away  for another millennium. THANKS FOR THE TEATIME  VISIT !!!

           TODAY, I'm sharing teatime with:
                Sandi: Rose Chintz Cottage
                Ruth  : Antiques and Teacups
                Bernideen's Teatime Blog
                Martha's Favorites