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Considered one of my favorite tea time actions is wax sealing. Much like tea, the method is extremely soothing and rewarding. My expertise is proscribed to trendy wax seals, however Kay Collier works with vintage, museum-quality seals solely. She is the proprietor of Kathryn Hastings & Co., an internet store that gives prime quality stationary and able to use vintage wax seals. Her work includes urgent every distinctive seal by hand then making use of an adhesive backing for simple sealing and sending. Kay is reviving this previous artwork so many can share it with the folks they love on letters, playing cards and different snail mail. On the tea desk we mentioned her first second with tea, how letter writing and tea are linked and her present favorite vintage wax seal and extra.
The kettle is on and I can hear it about to sing. What tea are you going to steep for us immediately?
As we speak, I’m imbibing Harney & Son’s Sizzling Cinnamon Spice tea. I often drink this tea decaffeinated. However, I just like the fully-caffeinated model on days like immediately, after I must really feel extra productive.
An ideal steep for a fall day. Do you recall the second you had your first sip of tea?
I used to be 5 years previous after I first sipped tea on the Ritz with my grandmother, Neenie, who additionally launched me to my lifelong ardour of letter writing.
Instantly I used to be struck by the finery: the nice French furnishings, the oil work and dwell piano music. The treats and tea accoutrements delighted me, particularly the sugars, lotions and small jars of honey.
Being new to tea, I assumed the small jars of marmalade had been additionally for my tea and plopped a dollop of jam in my cup. My grandmother laughed it off and mentioned I might take my tea nonetheless I appreciated it. She was the primary particular person to let me absolutely expertise luxurious in my very own method.
In faculty, my appreciation for tea grew leaps and bounds, when my mentor and pal, Jana Spano, launched me to Japanese tea and tea tradition. Since then, inexperienced teas have been my favourite, particularly senchas, machas and genmaichas.
I loved your podcast episode with Mike Harney highlighting the ceremony of tea and letter writing. How would you describe the connection between your love for letter writing and your love for tea?
Each letter writing and tea consuming are about experiencing and appreciating the great thing about the second.
I’m the kind of one that exists in movement. My thoughts lives in a close to fixed state of reverie, wandering by completely different dreamscapes, colours, textures, rhythms and recollections. Even my physique feels the regular pull of motion, desirous to sway, to bop, to skip whereas seated.
Tea provides a richness to life that enables me to yoke my dreaming self and shifting limbs to a extra current actuality. It offers a joyful solemnity that makes me need to keep for the longer durations that writing requires.
It additionally leaves me within the luxurious feeling of luxurious that I need others to expertise when studying my letters or utilizing my wax seals on their correspondence.
Take us on a digital tour of your studio house.
The very first thing folks discover when coming into my studio house is the massive portrait of an unknown Cromwellian knight by the 17th century Dutch painter, Adriaen Hanneman. I inherited him from my grandparents and have all the time felt a detailed connection to him. He watches over my work and tracks everybody together with his variety eyes.
My studio is split into 4 predominant areas: a desk for work, a desk for leisure, a bookshelf with my tea provides, and a small wood desk by the window for photographing my work.
I spend most of my time at my work desk, an extended industrial desk with vases of quills and brushes, dishes stuffed with vintage wax seals, a Japanese stitching field with extra vintage seals, and a tome of George Elliott novels, a few of which I’ve learn and a few I most likely by no means will.
Often, you’ll discover one or two marble slabs on the desk with the vintage seals I’m making that week. There’s additionally often a stray tea cup or two.
Above the desk hangs a mirror surrounded by two entangled gilt snakes. The mirror hangs low sufficient in order that I can smile at myself now and again and see the knight on the alternative wall.
On the alternative aspect of the room, you’ll discover my leisure desk, a big early 20th century desk from my grandmother, Betsy Hastings. I preserve an oil lamp at this desk for evening writing, and have pictures of my kids, my husband and my grandfather on his horse.
This desk has many drawers and compartments which I fill with stunning stationery from all over the world and classic postage. Once I’m at this desk, I’m often consuming an after-dinner tea like chamomile or Moroccan mint.
The opposite part, the bookshelf with my tea provides, additionally homes varied books that encourage me, together with calligraphy manuals, poetry anthologies and books on spirituality. Above the tea station, I’ve a blue “whiteboard” with issues I would like to recollect to try this week and month.
Your model, Kathryn Hastings & Co. focuses on peel & stick wax seals utilizing vintage, museum-quality seals from the 1700s and 1800s. When you needed to choose only one wax seal design as your favorite, which one wouldn’t it be?
Like tea, wax seals are meant for use for various events.
The Georgians and Victorians appreciated the delicate meanings communicated by seal selections. A canine represented constancy. A neglect me not flower represented real love. A ship represented resilience.
My favourite seal adjustments typically. Nonetheless, my present favourite is a seal I acquired by a commerce with a pal and fellow collector. It’s carved out of amethyst and depicts music notes with the inscription “Good Evening. All’s Effectively.”
The standard of the carving, the candy message and the truth that I acquired the seal from a pal carry me a lot pleasure.
Velocity Spherical:
Black, Inexperienced, Yellow, White, Oolong or Puerh?
Inexperienced
Sizzling, Iced or Chilly?
Sizzling
Teapot, Infuser or Gaiwan?
Teapot
Straight, Sweetened or Latte?
Straight
Cheese or Chocolate pairing?
Chocolate, particularly chocolate caramels
Select one particular person, dwelling or handed, movie star or household, that you just wish to have tea with. What would that tea time appear to be?
I’d select the designer, artist, poet and thinker, William Morris, from the British Arts and Crafts Motion. Tea time could be hosted in his lounge, the place I might absolutely take up the house he created.
Although we’re separated by about 150 years, the themes from Morris’ work parallel my very own. Morris cared deeply about elevating craftsmanship to artwork, and believed within the profound energy of artwork for social progress.
Throughout tea, I’d share how the world has modified since his lifetime and the way the necessity for stunning, handcrafted objects is extra related now than ever.
Since Morris’ work was in direct response to industrialization, I’d be curious what he’d consider our trendy, hyper linked world. Although we most likely wouldn’t agree absolutely on politics, I’m positive we’d discover plenty of settlement across the necessity of artists and craftspeople.
I’d additionally need some recommendation on how he so graciously wore his many roles. As artist who aspires to be different issues as effectively, I’d have plenty of questions for him.
Discover Kathryn Hastings & Co.:
Web site | Instagram | Podcast
ABOUT THIS SERIES: Tea tells tales and when linked with people, extra are created. That’s the place the thought for this weblog sequence, On the Tea Desk, originated. With this sequence, The Cup of Life asks tea lovers all over the world to take us inside their tea lives to share their favorite steeps, areas, routines and extra. Meet a few of your fellow tea drinkers right here.
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