Antique Porcelain Cat Teapot, China #16944B

Description

In China and Japan cats are often portrayed as small teapots that provide individualized tea servings and better retain heat. White porcelain with a clear glaze was often the preferred pottery form for teaware as it was viewed as more elegant. Since Mao (猫), the word for cat, is a homophone for octogenarian, it is a well-known Chinese longevity symbol (shou 壽). Qing dynasty and Chinese Republic cat teapots are often portrayed with a raised paw as its 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, a homophone symbolizing longevity (shou 壽). They are charming pouring vessels that will enrich any space, especially a kitchen and their symbolic wishes for a long life and good luck make them appropriate gifts for any occasion such as birthdays and housewarming gifts. It is in excellent condition with normal minor dark dot-like firing imperfections seen on most white glazed objects and minor scratches from age and its use. There are Chinese characters within a circled seal in the mold on the bottom making it an  antique. As with all antique teaware, we advise they be used only for decorative purposes.