Why do Chinese teacups have no handles?

The Chinese teacups have no handles

Many tea lovers may found a question, that the Chinese teacups have no handles. While in the western, teacups usually have handles for easy holding.

What causes the difference in the shape of teacups between eastern and western?

Why do western teacups have handles?

In the 17th century, Chinese tea was transported across the sea to Europe, but it was not until the 18th century that European artisans began to found the way to make ceramic crafts. (Evolution of the teaware in Europe)

So, before ceramic teacups were produced, metal teawares were widely used in Europe, and the most common teacups at that time were actually modified from English sweet wine-milk cups.

After the 18th, with the increasing trade between western countries and China, China’s exquisite ceramic teacups came to the European continent one after another.

However, the saucer used to solve the heat-hands problem was not included in the standard Chinese teaware at the beginning, so it was not introduced into the west like the teacup.

In order to solve the heat-hands problem of hot tea, European had to design a handle to imitate the wine glass. Over time, this became a feature of western-style teacups.

Why do Chinese teacups have no handles?

Appearance

The Chinese teacups we saw today is actually a tea cover bowl, which is evolved from a bowl. The cover means the sky, the saucer means the earth, and the bowl means the human, Chinese style trinity.

And a handle with break the balance of the shape, and looks not so much nice.

Not suitable for reasonable placement

In the Chinese tea ceremony, various teawares need to be placed on the tea tray. If each cup has a handle, it will be inconvenient to place and may befall over each other.

The teaware is very able to reflect the Chinese cultural, each teaware has its own specific use and position, with a balance that mutual restriction and mutual non-interference. Embodies the Chinese traditional “politeness” culture, keep a comfortable distance between people.

Not practical

Everyone knows, most of the tea is steeping with hot water. When we using a teacup without handle, we can not feel the temperature well, makes our tongue easy to get scalded.

And the Chinese teacups without handles, we can feel the temperature of the tea with our hands, to determine whether the temperature of the tea is suitable for drinking.

Chinese teacup is evolved from a bowl

So we can see, the tea saucer is the most important reason why the Chinese teacups have no handles, and some deep reasons of Chinese traditional culture.

The Europe teacups get the handles, one side is the different views on art, the other side is the handles can make people hold the teacup gracefully.