Collection: Tea Pot

Teapots usually have an opening with a lid at their top, where the dry tea and hot waterare added, a handle for holding by hand and a spout through which the tea is served.Some teapots have a strainer built-in on the inner edge of the spout. A small air hole inthe lid is often created to stop the spout from dripping and splashing when tea is poured.In modern times, a thermally insulating cover called a tea cosy may be used to enhancethe steeping process or to prevent the contents of the teapot from cooling too rapidly.

Dry tea is available either in tea bags or as loose tea, in which case a tea infuser or teastrainer may be of some assistance, either to hold the leaves as they steep or to catch the leaves inside the teapot when thetea is poured.

Early teapots, like those still used in modern Gongfu tea ceremony, are small by westernstandards meant for the individual consumption of tea.5] They use a higher ratio of leavesto water, which enables the brewer to control the variables of brewing to create severalsmall infusions. After brewing, tea would then be decanted into a separate vessel, and distributed into the small cups ofseveral drinkers, and brewed again. This allows the tea to be skillfully brewed, and for the flavor changes to be experiencedthrough the various infusions.[6]

leapots made from pottery materials such as clay have been hand-fired for tens of thousands of vears, oriainally in china.Clay is a popular material for teapots, as they tend to retain heat very well.[7]
Many traditional Chinese teaware is yixing ware. Yixing and other regional clays are left unglazed. This allows the clay toabsorb the flavor of the teas brewed over time, and enhance the flavor of the tea going forward. some Gongfu practitionersdesignate their unglazed pots for specific types, sometimes even specific varietals of tea.
From the end of the 17th century tea was shipped from China to Europe as part of the export of exotic spices and luxurygoods, The ships that brought the tea also carried porcelain teapots. The majority of these teapots were painted in blue andwhite underglaze. Porcelain, being completely vitrified, will withstand sea water without damage, so the teapots werepacked below deck whilst the tea was stowed above deck to ensure that it remained dry.[8]