Porcelain Cat Teapot, Chinese Republic (19420E-VAS) $130

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. White porcelain with a clear glaze was often 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 a spout, 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 to promote and maintain positive energy (chi) and bring good luck and fortune into their store. These cats often have long ribbons (shoudai) around their necks as a homophone and symbol for longevity (shou 壽). They charming teapots enrich any space as kitchen accessories, and their symbolic wishes for a long life and good luck will enrich any space and make them appropriate gifts for any occasion, especially birthdays. As with any antique, we advise they be used only for decorative purposes. Its condition is excellent with normal dark dot-like firing imperfections, minor discoloration and scratches from age and its use.  With a blank circle seal in the mold on the bottom, this piece is an antique or vintage piece from the Qing Dynasty or Chinese Republic.