Covered jar with floral sprays

The Early Stages of Tea in China
The first clear references to the use of tea in China date to the first two centuries of the common era and come from Sichuan province. Among many early uses, the most often mentioned is as a stimulant by people practicing meditation, in both Daoist and Buddhist contexts. By the Tang dynasty (618–907) tea had become a national obsession. The Classic of Tea (Chajing) by Lu Yu (d. 804) expressed a strong preference for green-glazed tea wares to compliment the reddish-brown color of the tea.
Most early teas were dark in color, roasted, and made from tea leaves pressed into circular bricks. Preparation involved grinding tea, boiling water, and tossing tea into the water or pouring the hot water into tea bowls. By the tenth century, use of whipped powdered tea came into vogue. Light in color, this tea involved nine stages in manufacturing, seven in brewing. At upper social levels, drinking tea was often accompanied by writing poetry, painting, and the enjoyment of beautiful objects., One practical design feature of this jar is that the cover can be used as a dish when inverted. In the early part of the Northern Song dynasty, stylized patterns in the form of floral scrolls or panels were used on Cizhou ware. Later, the designs were simplified, depicting only one or two branches extending around the shoulder, as seen here. The influence of calligraphy and painting upon such decoration techniques is easy to discern.