清十九世纪 宜兴胎包锡壶及杯一组十一件

The practice of drinking tea is deeply embedded in Chinese culture. It evolved into an art form in the Tang dynasty (618-907AD) and became a favourite pastime for wealthy connoisseurs such as scholars, officials or members of the royal household. The drinking of tea is associated with literature, arts and philosophy. Teapots and cups made from Yixing pottery, have long been sought after by tea drinkers and scholars in China. K.S.Lo writes in Stonewares of Yixing: From the Ming period to the Present Day, Hong Kong, 1986, pp213-215, that the practise of encasing Yixing stoneware teapots in pewter coverings was developed by the scholar Zhu Jian during the Jiaqing-Daoguang periods (1796-1850).