Teapot history- where they originated and how they have evolved

The Tea Detective
Uncovering and Exploring the Facts About Tea

I'm a Little Teapot...

Two such successful potters in particular, the Eler's brothers, moved
their business from the Netherlands to Staffordshire, England, making it
the source for fine pottery. In their wake came such impressive names
as Wedgewood, Spode, Worcester, Minton, and Denby.

But it wasn't an easy road. It took nearly a hundred years for the Eler's
brothers and other English potters to replicate not only fine bone china
and stoneware, but also to discover the secret to creating genuine fine
translucent hard paste porcelain invented by the Chinese under the
Tang Dynasty.

Many of the early teapots replicated the Chinese designs of mythological
symbols and creatures, but later teapots reflected the styles currently
in vogue at that time - the 18th century rococo and neoclassical shapes.
And in the 19th century came the heavily ornamental Victorian styles.

Today you can find just about any shape, color, theme or style you desire. Everything from
simple and practical, to highly decorated collector pieces are available. From cars to show
personalities, and sports figures, to your favorite animal, flower, or style of house - it's out
there. For those who are collectors, it's not only fun to search, but for some a passion.

So the next time you brew tea, whether in your simple, practical, everyday teapot, or your
grandma's delicate, fine, bone china, take a moment to reflect on the ancient journey of the
humble teapot. Enjoy.

For more information and to learn more about tea, visit our other
pages:

Yixing teapots - beauty meets function.
Yixing teapots are beautiful yet functional, and with proper
care can last a lifetime. Get tips on buying either decorative
or functional teapots and price ranges for each category.
Also learn how to care for and season your new Yixing teapot.

How do I choose the right tea for me?
Buying loose leaf tea for the first time can be confusing, but we've taken the work out
of it for you. With lots of helpful tips and information, we've turned confusing into
confident.

Make brewing tea a breeze with a few useful tools.
Brewing tea is an easy task, but with a few choice tools and accessories, you can
make it easier and even more enjoyable.

Learn how tea helps you lose weight the healthy, natural way.
Drinking just three cups of tea a day not only helps you take off those unwanted
pounds, but also provides a powerhouse of other health benefits as well.

Organic teas aren't just good for you, but Mother Earth, too.
Learn how organic teas are grown, and how to ensure the tea you're buying is certified organic by the
country it was grown in.

What secret ingredient is added when making puerh tea?
Puerh tea is considered to be a medicinal tea in China, and the secret to producing this healthy tea may
surprise you.

So who is Earl Grey, anyway?
Earl Grey is probably the most recognizable of blended teas, but there are many other tasty blends that
make the perfect beginning or end to your day. (For an excellent Earl Grey try Silver Leaf Tea's Earl Grey
Extra Fancy OP tea or for great breakfast blends their English Breakfast Extra Fancy OP or Irish
Breakfast Extra Fancy OP tea. And for a smooth, relaxing evening tea, try their Evening Blend of fine
Indian and China teas that are naturally low in caffeine.

Flavored Teas - Everyones Favorite.
Satisfy your favorite cravings with a healthy, low calorie cup of tea. Whether it's berries, citrus, or even
chocolate or caramel, your favorite flavor of tea is just waiting for you.

The many health benefits of drinking tea.
If after drinking a cup of tea you seem to feel better, it's not just your imagination. Tea contains a long
list of beneficial ingredients, including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that help fight everything from
colds and flu, to cancer and heart disease.

Do you have a question about tea?
If you've read through our pages and still have a question about tea that we haven't covered, please feel
free to visit our questions and contact page and ask away and we'll try our best to find the answer.

No time to brew-grab a glass of instant or bottle of ready to drink tea.
Following the creation of iced tea, it took nearly half a century for instant tea mix and bottled and canned
ready to drink teas to make their debut. Now days they're readily available in any number of flavors and
variations.

Down and out with a cold or the flu? Then this recipe is for you!
If you've been hit by a cold or influenza virus, this is one tea recipe that will get you back up and on your
feet and feeling rosy again in no time.

Nearly every home has one...many have more than one. Some even have vast collections in
every conceivable shape and form. I'm talking about the humble teapot.

If the kitchen is the heart of the home, then the
teapot is most definitely the soul. It turns the
simple act of brewing tea into an art of sorts.

For some reason, pouring tea from a teapot gives
the feel of elegance and quiet sophistication. It's
hard to explain, but it's a feeling you get - carried
back over generations, to a time when afternoon
tea was a time for gathering together to share the
news of the day.

I like to think of it as the social networking of old,
and it makes me want to go back to that time, if
even for a moment. Back when tea was brewed in
a beautiful china teapot and drunk from a china
cup, rather than a cardboard one. But I guess
that's just the romantic in me.

The Chinese and China

The earliest adaptation of the teapot we know today came from ewers, used for centuries in
China for holding wine.

From the ewer, the teapot evolved over thousands of years. The word "china" (meaning
domestic pottery) originated in the late 16th century when the Dutch began carrying cargoes of
tea from China to Europe.

Small, broad-based teapots with wide spouts, packed with tea, were included with the
shipments. Called simply "china", this Chinese stoneware was altogether new to Europe, and
Dutch potters immediately began their hand at duplicating it.

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An easy-to-use ingenuiTEA teapot, whose ingenious design has been featured in The New York Times, Time Magazine and HGTV.

For a great selection of teapots - from decorative to
utilitarian, Yixing, and more, along with quality teas,
gifts, and accessories, visit:
The Tea Detective's Gift of Tea Store

Receive A Guide To Tea, an 88-page book on the history and enjoyment of tea free with your first Adagio Teas order of $19 or more.