Wanderlust UK – September 2019

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wanderlust.co.uk September 2019 43

DISPATCHES

allthecareandgoodtasteofan

AlbemarleStreetartgallery.There

werecaddiesinlaidwithflecksof

24-caratgoldaswellasexquisitely

craftedteapots–somenolarger

thananEnglishteacup–sitting

alongsideanarrayoftiny,wafer-thin

beakersasdelicateaspetals.

ThenextdayIwatchedYangbin

Jiang,oneofYixing’sgreatest

contemporaryceramicartists,

craftateapotinhisstudio.Itwas

extraordinary.Hebeganbybeating

alumpofzishaclayflatwithasmall

mallet,thenmouldingitwithhis

handsandsimplebambootoolsinto

aperfectlyproportionedtapering

cylinder,whichwouldformthebody

ofthepot.Theexerciseremindedme

ofGiotto’s‘O’–aflawlesshand-

drawncirclesentbytheFlorentine

artisttothePopeintheearly14th

centuryasamarkofhisvirtuosity.

Handshaveshapedzishaclayin

Yixingforoverathousandyears,

Ireflected.Andceramicswerefired

inChinabeforeweintheUKhad

evenbuiltStonehenge.Betweenthe

citiesofshimmeringglass,thebullet

trainsandthefactories,oldChina

stillsurvivesinYixing’sstudios.

MrJiangbeckonedmetolookat

oneofhisprize-winningpieces–

lovinglykeptinaglasscase.Theart

ofYixingisinthedetail,hesaid,so

Ipressedmyfaceupcloseandlooked

ascarefullyasIwouldataminiature

byHilliard–theEnglishartistfamed

forhistinyportraits.Thepotwas

cinnabar-brownandshapedlike

overlappinglotusleaves,forming

amathematicallyperfectoval.The

lidanduppersurfaceweredecorated

withafiligreeoftreebranchesand

springblossoms,interlacedwith

beautifulChinesecalligraphy.It

wasundeniablyexquisite.

Butwhatofthebrewitsel”?Mr

Jianginvitedmetosit.Hewould

preparegongfu(kungfu)tea–so

calledbecauseitismadebyamethod

asprecise,ancientandtraditionalas

themartialartshonedatChina’s

famousShaolinmonastery.

Heproducedanotherbeautiful

teapotfromacraftedwoodenbox,

andtwocupsassmallanddelicate

aseggshell.Thenheopened

avacuum-sealedpacketofhigh

mountainoolongleaves,sprinkled it

intothepotandaddedwaterheated

inatemperature-controlledglass

kettletoprecisely80ºC.Overa few

minuteshegentlymassagedthe

leaveswiththeteapotlid,teasing

fragranceandflavourfromthem

toproduceagoldenliquid.

Andthat’swhyIamnolonger

ateaconnoisseur.Fromthefirst

taste–withitslighttropicalfruits

andhoneyedundertones,Irealised

that,fastidiousthoughIhave

alwaysbeenaboutmyTwinings,

comparingittoMrJiang’soolong

waslikeputtingaBlackTower wine

nexttoaChâteauMargauxgrand

vin.Sowhentheairstewardoff ered

melukewarmLiptonsontheplane

home,Ididn’tcomplainthistime.

Ijustoptedforcoffeeinstead.This,

asever,wasservedbitter,weak

andatnuclearheat.Butthatis

anotherstory...

n oolong

to the pot

is heated

oprecisely 80ºC

Troublebrewing...

(clockwisefromtopleft)

Teahasanimportantrole

in Chinese culture, and is

considered one of the

most important herbs in

traditional medicine;

some teapots can fetch

over £1 million at auction;

the Yixing City skyline at

night; tea is poured from

height and aimed at the

rim of the cup, so as not to

splash; Yangbin Jiang and

his ceramic creations;

writer Alex Robinson, who

will now drink anything...

Alex Robinson; Dreamstime