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Dear friends,
I am not sure of which metal and what purpose are of this vessel / pot (14” in height). I was told, and it seems of Tibetan origin.
Would appreciate very much your time and kind help for more info / understanding on this object 🙏
Tony

This is a Chinese fabricated brass decorative teapot which sometimes seen selling as "antique" by uninformed dealers but in fact should be called "vintage" 20th century in my opinion. One honest seller I ran across when verifying my facts included a warning against using such pots for tea preparation or serving.

As such, this kind of pot is best enjoyed as a conversation piece atop a high shelf out of reach of children who might try to use it for their tea party.

Similar piece shown at embedded link and photo below.

Best regards,

Bill H.



URL Title :Chinese brass teapot

Dear Bill H.
Very much appreciated your informed input and kind help, as always 🙏
And if I may add, while the looks are quite similar, the one that I am presenting here does have what seems to be intricately hand carved details, if one looks carefully, as compared to the one in the link that you provided and as many other on ebay… just a thought 😊
Tony

Also, from my searching online, it might be or at least in the style of a Tibetan Buddhist ritual kettle which, as I quote online “conveys the lesson that through anger, your mind is indicating to you that something needs to be done. You need to take control of the situation that angers you instead of venting it and doing away with whatever harmony is left. Like taking the kettle off the fire, that decisive action - if it is the right one - would satiate your anger such that you would no longer suffer from it.”
Here is a closet looking one that I could find :
Link: https://tibetankeepsakes.com/products/an-antique-tibetan-teapot
Would appreciate any input from members and from one of our Tibetan bronze experts in the forum 🙏😊

In my continuing humble opinion, based on a couple of decades in the forum and many more researching and cataloging my own collection, there ain't a chance in Hades that your pot or the one that dealer's trying to sell as high-end at the link has ever been any closer to Tibet than I am here in Florida. Any teapot designed to serve ceremonial purposes on an altar would almost certainly have been cast wholly by the lost wax method and not cobbled together with crudely stamped components attached with brads and other parts sloppily crafted by sand-casting and poorly polished.

Tsk, tsk,

Bill H.

Dear Bill H.
I am here to learn, and, again, I truly appreciate the time and expertise that you and others have brought to the forum over the years!!!
And as part of learning, it is a two-way dynamic process, taking in the info - process the info - then asking the questions, ,,, and that is where the questioning part comes from and would never be personally!
When it comes to comparison, especially items of the same statue, it is all about comparable attributes, especially tangible ones. if it ain't fit, we can't force a parallel conclusion, and that is the very issue I have seen occasionally here over the years, respectfully!
Without knowing the background and context (as for lost wax casting is almost certainly the case of ceremonial items as you pointed out), I would incline to align with the info provided from the items that look most comparable than the Chinese brass dragon teapot category. Again, whether it is accurate or not the info provided by those items' websites is another story. On this pot, my main interest was which metal (seems like gilt copper, silver, brass, bronze?...) and for what purpose (Buddhist ritual, decoration in the style of, ...),
With that being said, I do realized how fortunate we have here a panel of subject matter experts on many areas, and more importantly with good Will and kind intention. Thank you ALL!!!

Tony

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