TP029 - Shagua

Product detailed description

Overview
Tea pets or tea spirits (chachong 茶宠) represent various types of small figurines that accompany you during your tea time. These charming figurines are often poured with leftover tea to cultivate the bond between the tea drinker and the pet. Apart from the decorative aspect, the tea pets also hold significant cultural and symbolic meanings.

History
The tradition of using tea pets dates back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), a golden era in China. These figurines have since become an integral part of tea ceremonies, representing a blend of artistry, tradition, and personal expression. Traditionally, the tea pets were made from various clays similar to those, which are used for making the teaware. While the tea pets often reflect the owner's personality and interests, many of the tea spirits represent various mythical creatures to bring good fortune, happiness, and prosperity to their owners.

Symbolism
The presented teapet combines motive of shark and watermelon (Shagua 鲨瓜), which in Chinese sounds very similar to silly (Shagua 傻瓜). While you may not encounter any shark in Xishuangbanna, sharks are often associated with fear/respect and they like to spend their time in water, particularly in terms of pouring out the hot water during the tea ceremony. On the other hand, the watermelon symbolizes abundance, longevity and health, which is demonstrated by shark's watermelon sweet smile from cheek to cheek.