Mounted Teapot

This unique and rare mounted teapot, made of precious materials, reflects the value of tea in Europe during the 1700s. It also reveals the European passion for Chinese porcelain, which was prized by discerning collectors who displayed their imported objects in porcelain cabinets. After being imported from China, porcelain objects were often decorated with gold, silver, or gilt bronze mounts to enhance their value and rarity. The silver mounts on this teapot are particularly noteworthy because of their unusual engraved and pierced motifs, and the prominent placement of the hinges. Also, the original porcelain handle was broken and replaced by one that cleverly incorporates a tea leaf into the design. The vessel's striking dappled blue hue resulted from the rediscovery of a color known as powder blue, first invented in the 1400s. To achieve the rich, mottled effect, cobalt pigment was repeatedly blown through a bamboo tube covered at one end by gauze. The intense blue of the ground color combined with the beauty of the engraved and pierced mounts make this a singular object of extraordinary refinement.