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An antique is a rare, much sought after item that acquires its desirability owing to its age, limited availability, form, usefulness or other factors that make it a priceless artifact. Usually an antique earns its title because it is a representative of a society of yester years. One such item worthy of mention comprises of antique Japanese tea sets. Truly a masterpiece, this vintage crockery gained popularity in the country due to the fact that it has always been there that tea making, drinking and serving was considered ceremonious. It came as no surprise that Japan has a large number of antique tea sets - distinctive of the past and treasured for their age.

History: Japanese hold beautiful tea sets in high esteem. Although tea was not a discovery of Japan, the beverage rapidly took a strong hold in the country's culture, giving impetus to the development of exquisite designs and shapes and till today this trend not only continues but also gains momentum as days go by. The people took a lot of pleasure in bringing forth newer embossments, sizes and shapes, scaling greater heights in originality of craftsmanship of object d'art. The use of tea as a preferred drink permeated to Japan from China and gradually touched the pinnacles of popularity. Parallel to this tendency, grew the demand for tea sets of unique designs, sculptured to enthrall generation after generation. Different parts of Japan developed different styles for fashioning tea sets, which distinguished them from other regions within the country. Originally clay was the substance used to make tea sets. As days progressed, other materials, such as ceramics and cast iron replaced clay. Tea sets donned delicate colors and gave an appearance of fragility.

Present status: Owning an antique Japanese tea set is a symbol of high status. People from every part of the world crave to have a typical antique Japanese tea set in their possession. They care for it as if it was too precious for everyday use. A part of the prized ownership, it is viewed as a show piece and not a mere vessel used for brewing and serving tea. The style that places the antique Japanese antique tea sets apart is their exclusiveness and daintiness of their overall fabrication. Today antique Japanese tea sets are a rarity and the proud owner can gloat over the piece of the past.