Teapot in the Shape of a Plum Blossom

Teapot in the Shape of a Plum Blossom

Shi Dabin

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The invention of the teapot is often credited to potters working in the Yixing district of Jiangsu Province sometime in the sixteenth century. It is thought that these potters adapted the shape of a wine ewer to meet the needs of tea aficionados who had begun using steeped leaves rather than powdered tea.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Teapot in the Shape of a Plum BlossomTeapot in the Shape of a Plum BlossomTeapot in the Shape of a Plum BlossomTeapot in the Shape of a Plum BlossomTeapot in the Shape of a Plum Blossom

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.