古代人们对盛茶之器具十分讲究。《红楼梦》第四一回《栊翠庵茶品梅花雪》里，妙玉用六种不同的茶具看人待客。
例1：
只见妙玉亲自捧了一个海棠花式雕填金云龙献寿的小茶盘，里面放了一个成窑五彩小盖盅，捧与贾母。
译文一：
Pao-yu watched the proceedings carefully. He saw Miaoyu bring out in her own hands a carved lacquer tea-tray in the shape of crab-apple blossom, inlaid with a golden design of the "cloud dragon offering longevity." On this was a covered gilded polychrome bowl made in the Cheng. Hua period (1465--1487), which she offered to the Lady Dowager.
（杨宪益 译）
译文二：
Having heard a good deal about her, Bao-yu studied her very attentively, when she arrived back presently with the tray. It was a little cinque-lobed lacquer tea-tray decorated with a gold-infilled engraving of a cloud dragon coiled round the character for 'longevity'. On it stood a little covered tea-cup of Cheng Hua enamelled porcelain. Holding the tray out respectfully in both her hands, she offered the cup to Grandmother Jia.
（霍克斯 译）
例2：
然后众人都是一色官窑脱胎填白碗。
译文一：
All the others had melon-green covered bowls with golden designs of new Imperial kiln porcelain.
（杨宪益 译）
译文二：
The others were now served tea in covered cups of 'sweet-white' eggshell China.
（霍克斯 译）
例3：
又见妙玉另拿出两只杯来。一个旁边有一耳，杯上镌着“狐瓟斝”三个隶字，后的一行小真字是“晋王恺珍玩”，又有“宋元丰五年四月眉山苏轼见于秘府”一行小字。妙玉斟了一斝，递与宝钗。那一只形似钵而小，也有三个垂珠篆字，镌着“点犀盉”。妙玉斟了一盂于黛玉，仍将前番自己常日吃茶的那只绿玉斗来斟与宝玉。宝玉笑道：“常言‘世法平等’，她两个就用那样古玩奇珍，我就是个俗器了。”妙玉道：“这是俗器？不是我说狂话，只怕你家里未必找得出这么一个俗器来呢。”宝玉笑道：“俗说‘随乡入乡’，到了你这里，自然把那金玉珠宝一概贬为俗器了。”妙玉听如此说，十分欢喜，遂又寻出一只九曲十环一百二十节蟠虬整雕竹根的一个大盏出来，笑道：“就剩了这一个，你可吃得了这一海？”
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