tea bowl

Bowls shaped like this one from China were used to drink a regional specialty: yak butter tea. 

This bowl is modeled after wooden ones used for the same purpose in Tibet, China’s neighbor to the west. The ruler who commissioned it, the Yongzheng emperor of the Qing dynasty, embraced Tibetan Buddhism and cultivated relationships with its religious leaders through trade and gift exchange.

The yellow color was reserved for the emperor’s personal use. The combination of color and shape tells us that the custom of drinking butter tea was probably practiced when receiving Tibetan dignitaries and scholars, who played key roles at the Qing court.