A rich history to pore over
The earliest teapots emerged during the 16th century in Yixing, China, when powdered tea made in cups and ‘tea bricks’ boiled in kettles or pots began to be replaced by loose leaf tea, which required a teapot.
Antique ceramics expert Daniel Chen of Brian Haughton Gallery uses a Yixing teapot. ‘They’re made of slightly porous unglazed earthenware,’ he explains. ‘The flavour of the tea is retained in the body of the teapot, creating a complex aroma, so each teapot
