Tibetan butter tea is served as a welcome drink in all Tibetan homes and a tradition that is important to all Tibetans. Tea pots and kettles thus become important necessities in a Tibetan home. Made of different materials, these utensils showed the economic and social status of households. While ceramics and base materials were common, Copper and bronze utensils were used by families of rank and status; and those made of silver and gilded silver were reserved for ceremonial purposes and for the aristocracy. While these pots have been replaced by thermos flasks, the buttered tea pots from different periods are treasured today as a reminder of the unique Tibetan domestic life.
This Tibetan bronze teapot has a dragon spout and a dragon handle and while most of the tea pot is simple and devoid of carvings, the teapot neck and lid is replete with carvings and repousse details. The teapot itself has a hammered finish with a patina that has a history to tell. The teapot is about 10-1/2” tall.
