Why do traditional tea cups have no handles?
Chinese and Japanese cups never have handles. Is there a reason?
Two reasons, one practical one philosophical. Practical: if a cup is too hot to hold, your tea is too hot to drink — the cup IS your thermometer. Holding the bowl forces you to wait, sip slowly, and respect the temperature. Philosophical: in Chinese tea culture, the warmth on your palms is part of the experience — handles divorce you from the cup, the tea, and the moment. Western handles emerged in 18th-century Europe to suit boiling-hot black tea sweetened with milk; East Asian tea isn't drunk that way.
— Yurii — 931 Tea, 931 Tea