TEAPOTS ORIGIN

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 100, 8 April 1936, Page 14

TEAPOTS ORIGIN

First Known in China Although tea is the oldest beverage hi the world, the origin of the teapot as we know it is comparatively recent. It comes from China. In the 1 aug Dynasty (GlB-(»07 A.D.) covered bowls were used for infusing tea, the cover when slightly tilted allowing the tea to flow out, but holding back the leaves. Teapots with spouts were a novelty of the Yuan Dynasty (12801367). They became part of the ritual of tea-drinking iu every Chinese household, and were made of the beautiful porcelain for which China is famous. Lu the Salting collectiou at the V ictoria and Albert Museum there is a lovely peach-shaped teapot in porcelain of the K’ang-shi period (1662-1722). Tea was first introduced into England iu the 17th century, and was at that time made in ordinary tall coffeepots. Later these became shorter and wider, and were made with curved spouts, instead of straight spouts. They then became kuowu as teapots. Tea being very scarce, and also expensive (30/- to 35/- a lb.), teapots were small. During the 18th century—the golden age of pottery-niakiii" in England—teapots were made in ezrions shapes. The most popular were the camel, cow, swan and elephant, the tail of the animal forming the handle, the tea being poured from the nmuth. At the beginning of Queen Victoria’s reign, tea became much cheaper, so teapots became larger and rounder. The ambition of every house wife was tn own a silver teapot.