Teapot thumbnail 1
Teapot thumbnail 2
Not currently on display at the V&A

Teapot

Teapot
19th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This dragon-handled teapot is of the type used on important occasions such as festivals or marriages in Tibet and Ladakh. Such vessels are essentially display pieces. They are not used on an everyday basis, because the metal imparts a bitter flavour to the tea. In a monastery setting, such a teapot would have been used to serve tea to a high lama.

Delve deeper

Discover more about this object
read Teapots through time Tea, the world's most consumed beverage after water, has a long and global history stretching across centuries and continents. Discover some of the finest examples of the most ubiquitous of all kitchen utensils: the teapot.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleTeapot
Materials and techniques
Silver gilt, silver and brass gilt, with inset turquoise.
Brief description
Ritual, silver, parcel gilt jewelled, Tibet
Physical description
Teapot in silver and brass gilt inset with turquoise.
Dimensions
  • Height: 30cm
  • Width: 32cm
Historical context
A dragon handled teapot of the type used on special occasions in Tibet and Ladakh. Formerly the property of Hemis monastery in Ladakh.
Production
Hemis monastery
Summary
This dragon-handled teapot is of the type used on important occasions such as festivals or marriages in Tibet and Ladakh. Such vessels are essentially display pieces. They are not used on an everyday basis, because the metal imparts a bitter flavour to the tea. In a monastery setting, such a teapot would have been used to serve tea to a high lama.
Collection
Accession number
IM.112-1927

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdMarch 4, 2003
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest