Chinese teacup for making one (largish) cup of
tea at a time without a
teabag or
-ball. It comprises a
saucer, a handleless cup (mine is purple
Yixing porcelain, glazed only on the inside), and a lid. The idea is that you're supposed to put one
tea measure in, fill with boiling water, put on lid, wait one minute, and sip, using lid to catch leaves. (An art, which unlike
chopsticks, I found almost impossible to master, preferring instead to drink my
Ti Kuan Yin cautiously without a lid.)
So called because it was considered good for scholars staying up late at night, who might be alone, without servants -- and still is good for college students today!