Antique/Vintage Porcelain Cat Teapot, Chinese Republic (19420D-QAS)

Description

In China and Japan cats are often portrayed in the form of small-teapots that provide individualized servings and better retain heat for the tea.  Porcelain with a glaze surface was the preferred form for these teaware pouring-vessels as it was viewed as more elegant. Since Mao (猫), the word for cat in Chinese, is a homophone for octogenarian, it has been a well-known Chinese longevity symbol (shou 壽). Chinese Republic cat-teapots are often portrayed with a raised paw as its spout and a removable head to add water, a popular motif of a “beckoning cat” like the famous Japanese Maneki Neko widely used in feng shui, especially among Chinese merchants, as a greeting and welcoming gesture and to promote and maintain positive energy (chi) and bring good luck and fortune into their store. These antique-Chinese-ceramics-and-pottery cats often have long ribbons (shoudai) around their necks as a homophone and symbol for longevity (shou 壽). They charming teapots enrich any space and as symbolic wish for a long life and good luck make special gifts for any occasion, especially birthdays. It is in excellent with minor, normal dark dot-like firing imperfections as on most white glazed objects, minor discoloration, and scratches demonstrating its age and use. This is an antique/vintage piece from the Qing Dynasty or Chinese Republic. As with all antique teaware, we advise they be used only for decorative purposes. They make great kitchen-accessories, and cat lovers will especially enjoy them. This teapot is part of the VA Antique-Chinese-Ceramics-and-Pottery Collection.