A great discussion about Minimalism applied to tea

Yesterday, I saw a great post about the danger of Minimalist Design on Twitter! So, I tweeted these 4 pictures of tea ware as an answer to the post. My goal was to show that the same movement is also impacting the tea culture. Then, I did a similar post on Instagram and received very interesting answers!

It started a discussion about the difference between simplicity and minimalism. Some pointed out that the simpler, round shapes started very early in Chinese tea culture and that simplicity is often in good harmony with the state of mind of tea brewing. And I do agree that some late Qing wares were a little bit heavy on the decoration!

The question of beauty was raised, but I think that while a simple cup or jar can be beautiful, the excesses of minimalism and/or simplicity lead to a loss of character and loss of culture. The object seems not related to its 'ancestors'. It has evolved so much that it's lost its soul, especially if it's made by mechanical means with industrial clay and glaze. 

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