Vintage Tea Pot

Even in its earliest days, tea has been a very popular drink in both the Orient and the West for many reasons aside from its rich taste and health benefits. Tea has come to the point where it has been regarded as an art form (for example, the Japanese tea ceremony, which is one of the most ornate ceremonies in the world which only a very few people are able to master), from the brewing to the serving. And when one serves tea, it is always best to remember that appearance can be everything. In China, Japan, and England, as well as countries who subscribe to their tea beliefs, part of the tea comes from the experience, and with the experience comes the elegant teaware that makes a table as elegant as can be possible.

The most in-demand teawares are almost certainly the vintage one. It would seem that the rare, antique goods are by far the most elegant, as they refer to a time when tea was all but held sacred. In western style tea pots and tea cups, they are almost always ceramic, glazed with an elegant shine. These wares can usually be best found in Covent Garden markets where many vintage teaware, which includes pots with already have matching cups and saucers. This is another focal point of what makes them so special--they always match very harmoniously with one another, the teapot and the tea cups. The teapots' spouts are curved with a flourish unlike some modern tea pots which have a generally straight point. There is also a slight drip 'ledge' in the spout sometimes, which makes sure that the tea does not carelessly dribble down the spout and leave an unattractive streak. The designs of vintage teapots can be Art D?cor style, which are usually swirling plants and flowers, while other teapots are painted (and usually by hand, making them even rarer or even one of a kind) by different domestic or landscape scenes that evoke serenity and harmony. Even the burnished silver teapots, which are also considered elegant antiques, but usually larger than their delicate ceramic counter parts, have the same theme in their decoration, and usually embossed.

The vintage teapot has come to the point where they are even rarer now than ever, and collectors fancy going to Sotheby's or other art auctions and flea markets looking for the rarest, most delicate finds. Tea is all about presentation after all.