The European tea wares, though not as culturally profound as the Chinese ones, surpass them in design and decoration. The exquisite Silver tea wares of Europe are a prime example in this regard.

Today, we share with you content from Chapter Five of Yu Yue's book, Tea Fun in Various Colours: The Dissemination of Chinese Tea Abroad and Foreign Tea Affairs (published by Guangming Daily Press in August 1999).

In the 17th century, the upper echelons of European society used porcelain Teapots for Tea drinking. Soon after, silversmiths created pure silver teapots and teaspoons. From 1755 to 1760, they began crafting silver-plated teapots with high artistic value. The early British silver teapots were most distinctive in the 18th century and were exported to American colonies in large numbers. Due to the preciousness of tea at the time, early silver teapots were mostly small. Some were lamp-shaped, some pear-shaped, with the lamp shape being the earliest, starting production in 1670.

Pear-shaped silver teapots first appeared during Queen Anne's reign and remained popular through the ages. The first pear-shaped Teapot in America was created by Boston's Cony, which is considered the oldest teapot on the continent. During King George I's reign, Lin Su's pear-shaped teapots were commonly used, later adorned with Rococo-style carvings that were popular in France at the time.

In the first half of the 18th century, people favored spherical footed teapots with sharp and straight spouts. In the second half of the century, the spouts became sharp but curved, and the handles, like those of early silver teapots, were often made of wood. However, there were also some that were silver with ivory inlays to prevent heat conduction.

In 1770, silversmiths in Glasgow created pear-shaped inverted teapots decorated with relief patterns imitating Rococo style. However, simpler silver teapots became fashionable, featuring octagonal or oval shapes with straight vertical sides, flat bottoms, sharp and straight spouts, handles in scroll form, and domed lids.

Silver tea wares can be categorized according to their styles based on the periods: Elizabethan, Italian Renaissance, Louis XIV, Louis XV, Louis XVI, Jacobin, Queen Anne, George I, George III, Chippendale, Colonial, Revival, Victorian, etc.

Related Reading

New Changes in Tea Ware Culture (Part One)

New Changes in Tea Ware Culture (Part Two)