Collectable Tea Kettles

Collectable Kettles and Teapots

Tea has a long history across the world and a strong association with high culture. Many societies view the making and brewing of tea to be almost an art form and that is reflected in the many styles and forms of teapot and kettle. Often a showcase of art and wealth, fine teapots are made from delicate materials, in many styles in many cultures.

Porcelain, or chinaware, is a type of ceramic that can create delicate white shapes. A high status symbol, sets of expensive teapots and teacups are still highly sought after today. Chinaware is surprisingly strong for its weight, allowing it to be crafted into paperthin forms. It bonds well with paints and glazes, and so is easily decorated. Porcelain teapots will often retain a white base and thin appearance, with elegant designs or gold leaf along the rims.

Earthenware and stoneware ceramics do not have the delicate strength of porcelain, and as a result are heavier. They have their own unique style and aesthetic however, and many artists prefer to work with them due to their ease in shaping unique forms and designs. From rainbow elephants to elegant orbs, ceramic collectables are defined by their creativity and variance.

Perhaps as far from porcelain’s delicate strength as possible are cast iron teapots. Mostly based on the traditional Japanese tetsubin, cast iron pots are resilient and sturdy, often appearing flatter than many others. Design to be hung above a charcoal fire to brew, tetsubin can be engraved with complex and beautiful designs. The last word in endurance, cast iron teapots can outlast their owners with ease.

There are many other designs and materials both modern and vintage that teapots are made from. Older designs might be brass or copper, while modern materials include temperature resistant glass and stainless steel. Glass and steel pots tend towards being functional and practical rather than decorative, with simple rounded designs.