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Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Coffee & Tea Festival NY

Les Comptoirs Richard Glass Teapot, watercolor, 9" x 11 1/2"
Last October in Paris I bought a glass teapot in Galerie Lafayette. Then I left it in the hotel, thinking it was too fragile to bring home.
This trip, the first day at Les Comptoirs Richard I saw another glass teapot. It called my name from the window. YOU are mine and you are coming home with me.
On Sunday I went to the NY Coffee and Tea Festival
The show was loaded with glass teapots.
This glass teapot looks like it's heated on hot pebbles...NOT. The pebbles are inside the teapot. The Tea Gallery on 131 Allen street did a demonstration making pue-erhs tea.
The outside of the pot is heated 1st with hot water, almost annointing it.

This special pot is called a Yixing teapot (pronounced ee-shing). The unique purple/red clay is from the Jiangsu province. You never wash this tiny pot. And after numerous brewings, a layer of tea sediment forms in the interior and eventually you are brewing tea within tea.
Pour in enough water to wet the tea leaves down, and let sit for 3 long breaths...
It makes perfect sense if you're selling tea, to brew it in a glass teapot so everyone can see it at the Tay Tea stand.And they're so pretty. Fun to paint too. Globe Amaranth Jasmine tea is brewing and it's flower blossoms inside the pot. After the show I went to ABC Carpet to get some chocolate at Michel Cluizel, but all I saw were glass teapots.
More on the show tomorrow...

18 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:05 AM

    Good choice in tea pots Carol. It's a keeper. And I also like the one you saw at the NY Coffee & Tea Festival in the 3rd picture.
    Another great painting. Reminds me of the one I got. ;-)

    Hope you're feeling better today.

    Cris in OR

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  2. Anonymous10:19 AM

    I haven't been by in a while. Your blog is absolutely gorgeous. Thanks for sharing your paintings and photos with us.

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  3. Thank you for visiting my blog today! I LOVE this post! Hubby and I run a gourmet food and cookware shop, and we sell many glass teapots (he and I are avid tea drinkers, too)! I can't wait to show him your post... it is fabulous! =)

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  4. Anonymous11:01 AM

    I'm in heaven. Merci

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  5. Anonymous11:29 AM

    I love glass teapots. The Asian Museum in San Francisco, where I am a docent started using them and I fell in love. You can see the beautiful flower bossom in it. I am currently looking for one. I think I'll buy it in the states rather than Paris so I don't have to shlepp it. Ellen

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  6. Glass teapots are all over.
    Just Google and then pick you pot! :)

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  7. Anonymous11:57 AM

    I think it must be a pleasure for the eye to be served tea out of some of those glass teapots...
    simple but colour-welcoming !

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  8. Anonymous12:53 PM

    These pictures were simply nirvana.
    (How's that description for fitting
    into the mood of the day?)
    Yes, teapots are certainly coming into their own as a thing to be collected.
    Meanwhile, I continue to use my Brown Betty on a daily basis.
    The handle has a crack and seems to be weak and the spout has a chip - nevertheless,
    I'll continue on until either Betty or I give out entirely.
    S.C.

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  9. I just love your blog. Paris and Water color! You can't get any better then that!

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  10. Anonymous1:28 PM

    New fan here. A novice painter, and a lover of all things Paris.

    Amazing water colors. The Lauderee waters colors are really precious.

    Have you been to Lady M's? No M's, but the desserts are to die for.

    Ang04

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  11. Anonymous2:36 PM

    A glass teapot to see the dry tea leaves and petals bloom! Wonderful idea!!

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  12. Anonymous7:13 PM

    You've done it AGAIN!
    I'm in LOVE!
    Now I need macarons + chocolat + a glass teapot!!!
    MERCI
    BECCA P.

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  13. I have quite a few tea pots, but one of my favorites is my glass teapot. I use it for especially pretty tea, such as jasmine. I also use it for ice tea (I set it on a glass pie plate filled with ice to keep the ice tea cold). It looks especially pretty with edibles floating inside; sometimes slices of lemon, sometimes lavendar.

    Cheers.

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  14. I have to have one of those teapots!
    I love to see through to the delicate color

    I like my coffe the same way!
    It's all Part of the experience.

    Victoria

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  15. Loved reading this post ... very interesting. Great watercolor also.

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  16. Anonymous11:17 PM

    I am new here. Must say that I really enjoy your blog! The paintings are great as well!

    Jacqueline Lai (Hong Kong)

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  17. Anonymous12:24 PM

    Your paintings are so beautiful! Thanks for stopping by our booth at the show. Hope to see you at our store when it opens - Kelli, Amai

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  18. such a beautiful blog; a feast for the eyes. Thank you.

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