Sensory system

Smell

Context

Making and drinking a cup of tea using the teapot

Temporality

That period of time making and consuming the tea, and how smell is part of that act.

Physical

Touching and lifting this object makes me think of the act of brewing and pouring tea in a teapot. I lift the lid and use a teaspoon to heap tea leaves into the pot, then pick up the kettle and pour boiling water over the top. As the water hits, I can smell the scent of the earl grey tea. I swill the teapot around a few times to help the tea infuse. I have to hold it by the handle and the spout because the body of the teapot has become so hot to the touch. When the tea has had time to steep, I balance a strainer on the top of the china teacup and lift the teapot, pouring the tea into the cup, listening to the comforting burble of tea being poured. The teapot is heavy and I have to work to control the stream of hot tea. My left hand is holding the lid to ensure it doesn’t fall off and smash the delicate teacup. The smell is much stronger now that the tea has been poured. I add a drop of milk from a jug and hold the warm mug between my hands, enjoying the delicate floral scent of the tea. I take a sip and can feel the warm liquid travelling through my chest. Putting the cup down on its saucer, I hear the chink of china on china.

Emotional

The ritual of making tea in a teapot is an emotive experience for me. I use teabags and mugs at home, and using a fine china teapot brings up memories of making tea to share with family and friends, likely at a special occasion. My associations with having tea in this way is often as part of an afternoon tea at a restaurant, which is always a social event for me, and involves people coming together to share tea. I associate tea with being soothing and calming – the drinking but also the time it takes to make the tea and the ritual of that, even with a teabag. Holding the teapot makes me feel calm and contented, as I remember being with friends and family in a calm environment.

Relationships

• Interoception
• Pain
• Sound
• Taste
• Temperature
• Touch