The teapot is one of the hardest objects to make in pottery: The body must hold enough water to brew the tea, the handle should be comfortable to hold, the lid should stay firmly in place, and the spout must pour smoothly without dripping. The teapots in the Ceramics Collection at Aberystwyth University include a variety of forms from traditional shapes to sculptural and installation pieces.
Teapots first appeared in China around 1500 AD. Early Yixing teapots were made from a special clay called zisha, which was believed to improve the flavour of tea over time. Tea drinking spread to Europe through trade routes in the seventeenth century and became fashionable in Britain after Catherine of Braganza, the Portuguese wife of King Charles II, introduced tea drinking at the royal court. At that time, tea and porcelain tea wares were imported to Britain from China with very high taxes, only the rich could afford it.
After tea taxes were reduced in 1784, tea drinking became more widespread in Britain. During the nineteenth century, the British Empire expanded tea plantations first in Assam and later in Ceylon, for political and business reasons. The colonial system controlled the tea trade while exploiting plantation workers and communities. By the late eighteenth century, reduced imports of Chinese porcelain and advances in British ceramics encouraged manufacturers such as Wedgwood and Spode to produce affordable teapots for a growing middle-class market.
Teapot use declined in the late twentieth century as people preferred the convenience of teabags in mugs. However, during the Covid-19 lockdowns, teapot use increased as people returned to slower home rituals. Recently, vintage, antique and handmade teapots are in demand as part of trends such as “cottagecore” and “tablescaping,” where dining tables are curated to themes and shared on social media accounts such as Instagram.
Which one would you choose for your home?