Antique/Vintage Porcelain Cat Teapot, Chinese Republic (17022B-ZLK) $135

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 preparing tea 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 as kitchen accesssories, and their symbolic wishes for a long life and good luck make them appropriate gifts for any occasion such as  birthdays, house warmings and weddings. This has a blank circle seal in the mold on the bottom, and later versions are stamped with “Made in China” and/or red stamped characters of the maker. Its condition is excellent with normal dark dot-like firing imperfections and minor scratches from age and its use. As with all antique teaware, we advise they be used only for decorative purposes.