A tea pot is a container used for brewing and serving tea. Tea pots can be used for brewing and serving either loose or bagged tea leaves and can be made from several different types of materials ranging from a variety of metals like bronze and cast iron to glass and fine china. Tea pots usually have a wide mouthed lidded opening at the top for the contents, a spout for easing pouring of hot liquid into shallow tea cups and a handle for comfortable use. The modern tea pot is believed to be derived from early clay and ceramic tea pots popular in ancient China.

Through export and trade, tea and the early Chinese tea pots were introduced to the west and made an immediate impression on royalty throughout Europe. Soon, the practice of consuming tea spread to the European upper classes, and with it the custom of using tea pots. As tea pots became more refined, they became regarded as valuable objets d’art in their own right for their beauty as well as for their supreme design that hasn’t been greatly changed or improved upon in hundreds of years.

As a result, tea pots and their accessories have become not only a common household kitchen utensil, but artistic and ornate antique varieties have become sought after collector’s items. Tea pot sets, or groupings that include a tea pot with an accompanying plates used during a traditional afternoon tea are the most popular among tea connoisseurs and enthusiasts