Uniquely crafted: A collection of Chinese teapots integrate the imagery of Gods and folklore in their designs.

In the early 1990s, I met with the late Spanish painter Antonio Blanco (1912-1999).

At his artistic studio on Campuan Hill, Bali — now a museum — an easel was supporting a painting with the image of a teko (teapot). The wooden picture frames that Blanco designed were even occasionally adorned with teapot carvings.

Blanco said he loved the teapot because it was the symbol of a true mother. The teapot functions as a permanent repository of water and is always ready to pour the liquid of life to those in need just like a mother would to her child.

“The teapot is the mother who is standing by to give at all times,” Blanco said.

It turns out that Blanco’s philosophy dates back to the heyday of Kediri and Majapahit in the13th century.

In the tradition of these kingdoms, the punggawa (court officials) always put a kendi (Javanese earthen teapots) with drinking water on an angkring (bamboo structures) in public places.

People who were thirsty could drink the water from the kendi, which would be refilled when empty.

Therefore, in Indonesian culture, the kendi or teko has the same symbolic value; a mother who provides drinking water for everyone. This understanding is etymologically derived from kendi, which has its origin in the Sanskrit word kundika, a container of the source of life.

Kundika is thus esteemed as an attribute of compassion of Brahma and Siva in Hinduism, and Avalokiteshvara in Buddhism.

Teapot by Antonio Blanco.

In Japan, the same philosophy applies.

A teapot in the hand of a geisha (hostess) is always portrayed as a container that gracefully, cordially and sincerely fills the cups of her guests with tea. The teapot is likened to a tank in which the water of life is stored. It is symbolized as the deity Amaterasu or the mother of the Japanese.

In China, the teapot (cha hu) is also a symbol of virtue and humility. This has to do with the legend of Li Yuan, the most famous emperor of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), disguising himself as a servant during wartime, with his assistant playing the role of a master who liked drinking tea.

With the lapse of time, in the early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), purple earth was found in Yixing, Shantung province, which turned into maroon red when burned and was good for cup making as it contained no elements to affect the taste of tea. Various teapot models were also created to contain hot tea. So, the tea party or cha yan in China became ceremonial, artistic and elegant.

From then on, teapots in diverse forms and numerous models were produced all over China to reflect regional characteristics.

The mass production stimulated Portuguese, Spanish and Arab traders to sell Chinese teapots to various countries, increasing their popularity in Europe. At the beginning of the 1700s, German designers crafted porcelain and silver teapots with special motifs to counter the typical Chinese patterns.

In the 1800s, Britain began to produce teapots, which grew into thriving business after the reign of Victoria as Queen of Great Britain and Ireland from 1837.

Britain finally exported teapots and other ceramic products on a large scale to the United States. 

Collectibles: Iliana Lie's collection of teapots come from the many different countries she has visited.

To check the advance of British goods, the US sponsored John Bartlam (a Briton) to set up a teapot company in America.

Bartlam emerged as a famous teapot maker. A cracked teapot of his creation, only 12.7 centimeters wide, was sold for 460,000 pounds (US$597,652) during a Wolly & Walls auction in Salisbury, Britain, in February 2018.

Up to the 21st century, teapots have remained popular as an icon on dining tables.

All countries have produced teapots with their nations’ typical designs of art and culture, in addition of special motifs offered by teapot companies.

Artists’ personal designs are also among those promoted by companies. The artists can be emerging or world famous, such as Gustav Klimt and Pablo Picasso. The two painters have also portrayed teapots as a symbol of a woman or a mother.

Among serious teapot collectors is Iliana Lie.

Iliana has collected around 400 teapots from dozens of countries she has visited. They come in various themes, ranging from humans, animals, plants and fruits to abstract images, showing the different characteristics of relevant nations.

When in Cairo, Egypt, Iliana sought ancient teapot replicas from the King Tutankhamen era, which dated back to 2000 BCE. In Cuzco and Machu Picchu, Peru, she hunted for double-spout teapots crafted by the Indians of the Wari tribe in 800 CE.

“These unique teapots are only found in museums. Craftspeople rarely make their replicas,” Iliana said.

Iliana said she believed that in any era, teapots would always symbolize a mother.

“Every time I drink tea from a teapot, I’m reminded of mother’s tender loving care,” Iliana added.

— Photos by Agus Dermawan T.