More than just pot!
These tea sets are not just the most expensive tea sets in the world for nothing they exude art and culture.
Teapots are more than just “short and stout”. They are often some of the most expensive things in the world. For a lot of us, there is no real ritual for making tea — simply boil some water, dip the tea bag a couple of times in a mug of hot water, add some sugar or honey and we are done. However, for several tea lovers around the world, brewing of tea isn’t just another chore, it is a ritual that they try serving as luxuriously as possible — often costing them in the thousands or even millions. This doesn’t stop them from going to lengths to attain a unique tea set.
From the master of stone
During the Bonhams Hong Kong auction held in November 2013, two stoneware teapots made by a Chinese master potter and artisan Gu Jingzhou fetched '8.78 crore each. Gu Jingzhou was native to Yixing and lived between 1915 and 1996. He was named the “Great Master of Teapot Art” and earned the title of “Master of Chinese Industrial Arts”. The two teapots were handcrafted around 70 years ago from zisha clay, which is extracted from the Yixing region in the Jiangsu Province in Central China. Zisha clay enhances the taste of the tea due to its porosity and texture. It provides an overall better taste and aroma as compared to tea prepared in glass, porcelain, or glazed teapots. The two cylindrical stoneware teapots are reddish-brown in colour, and are unglazed.
Coral Rose
This rare pair of Famille Rose Coral-Ground Teapots dates back to the Imperial Qianlong Dynasty period (1736-1795). This tea set has landscapes painted in shades of blue and green by several Qing painters. Their oval body consists of four sides, which bear enameled floral scrolls, a scrolling handle, and a four-side spout. There are only two alike pots like these found in the world. They feature the Imperial Qianlong seal mark under a transparent glaze and are unique art and historical items. They were sold for '8.38 crores to a private collector from Hong Kong.
Silvery goodness
Theodore Wende’s Important and Unique Tea Set from 1927 is considered to be his most impressive work. It includes a silver and ivory teapot, a creamer, a sugar bowl and a tray which are all stamped with German hallmarks. It was purchased by an anonymous buyer for Rs 1.2 crore at an auction in 2007.