When researching Chinese tea utensils, you may come across a set of auxiliary tools known as the "Six Gentlemen of the Tea Ceremony" (茶道六君子). This term collectively refers to tools used for handling tea leaves and other tasks, distinct from the primary teapot and tea cups. This article organizes these six tools based on names provided in publicly available tea utensil references.
"Six Gentlemen of the Tea Ceremony" refers to a set of six auxiliary tools
In available tea utensil literature, the Six Gentlemen of the Tea Ceremony (also called the "Tea Ceremony Set" or "Six Uses of the Tea Ceremony") are defined as the following six items: tea tongs (茶夾), tea scoop (茶則), tea funnel (茶漏), tea needle (茶針), tea spoon (茶匙), and tea tube (茶筒). These six items represent a general classification found in these materials; it does not mean that every set sold is identical in composition or that all six must be used at every session. For a modern breakdown of essential utensils used in daily setups, refer to our practical essential Gongfu tea tools guide.
A brief look at the six items
- Tea tube (茶筒)
- A cylindrical container used to store the other tools.
- Tea scoop (茶則)
- A tool used to scoop dry tea leaves and transfer them into a teapot or tea jar.
- Tea spoon (茶匙)
- Introduced as a tool used to push tea leaves into a jar or to remove spent tea leaves.
- Tea funnel (茶漏)
- An auxiliary tool placed over the mouth of a jar when adding tea leaves to facilitate transfer into narrow-mouthed vessels.
- Tea tongs (茶夾)
- Introduced as a tool for handling tea cups. This article does not make definitive claims regarding their efficacy for hygiene or safety.
- Tea needle (茶針)
- Presented as an auxiliary tool used for the interior or spout of a teapot. Please check the specific instructions for each tool regarding precise usage and compatibility with your vessels.
The tea scoop (茶則) and tea spoon (茶匙) are not the same
In the literature, the tea scoop (茶則) is distinguished as a tool for portioning and transferring tea leaves, while the tea spoon (茶匙) is used for pushing tea leaves into a vessel or handling spent leaves. If you are choosing a tea scoop for the first time, please also see our guide to tea scoops for transferring tea leaves to teapots and tea jars.
Regarding SEKIMONO's tea scoops
At SEKIMONO, we carry tea scoops designed for portioning and transferring tea leaves into teapots and tea jars. Golden Toad (金蟾吐瑞)｜Tea Scoop is a currently available product tailored for this purpose. Please note that this is not an offer to sell a complete set of the "Six Gentlemen of the Tea Ceremony," but rather an introduction to the single tool known as a tea scoop.
