The fourth chapteris devoted to the enumeration and description of the twenty-four members of thetea-equipage, beginning with the tripod brazier and ending with the bamboocabinet for containing all these utensils. Here we notice Luwuh’s predilectionfor Taoist symbolism. Also it is inter- esting to observe in this connectionthe influence of tea on Chinese ceramics. The Celestial porcelain, as is wellknown, had its origin in an attempt to reproduce the exquisite shade of jade,resulting, in the Tang dynasty, in the blue glaze of the south, and the whiteglaze of the north. Luwuh considered the blue as the ideal colour for thetea-cup, as it lent additional greenness to the beverage, whereas the whitemade it look pinkish and distasteful. It was because he used cake-tea. Lateron, when the tea masters of Sung took to the powdered tea, they preferred heavybowls of blue-black and dark brown. The Mings, with their steeped tea, rejoicedin light ware of white porcelain.
第四章全篇用于描写茶器，他共列举了二十四种烹茶之器，由三足风炉而起，至承装诸器的都篮而终。从中可见陆羽对于道家思想的偏爱。同时也能注意到一个有趣的地方，那就是茶艺的发展对中国瓷器的影响，瓷器的一大特点在于其从产生就开始追求的那种姣好的玉色光泽，这也正是它广受欢迎的原因之一，这种倾向终于在唐朝造就了所谓“南青北白”的格局。而陆羽将青瓷之色作为茶杯的理想颜色，正是因为瓷色青更显茶色绿的缘故，而白瓷则易显得茶色发红，坏人胃口。事实上，这样的倾向正是他所烹煮的茶团所造成的。之后宋代的茶艺大师们将这种倾向带到了抹茶中，他们更偏爱以粗犷朴拙的蓝黑或是暗褐色茶碗作为茶器。直到明朝，随着冲泡茶的发展，轻薄透亮的白瓷才逐渐为茶人所喜。
徐艺珈
