Editing Teapot (section)

== Materials ==
The typical materials used for teapots have been [[stoneware]] (Yixing), [[porcelain]], silver, and gold.{{sfn|Chow|Kramer|1990|p=67}}

Making teapots from silver has a major disadvantage: the thermal conductivity of silver is the highest of any metal. Therefore, the handles of antique silver teapots were often made of wood (often apple-wood or pear-wood) or ivory.{{sfn|Pickford|1997|p=74}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bace |first=Jill |title=Collecting silver: the facts at your fingertips |publisher=Miller's |year=1999 |isbn=184000231X |pages=103}}</ref> If the handles were made from silver, they would be attached to the pot's body with thermally insulating plugs, usually made from ivory. Without such features, the teapot would be uncomfortable or painful to pick up when filled with hot tea.{{sfn|Pickford|1997|p=10}}

Teapots made of [[tin]] arrived around 1700, allowing for very low-cost designs. At the same time, the use of [[Britannia metal|Britannia ware]] had started. [[Nickel electroplating|Nickel plating]] was introduced in the second half of the 19th century.{{sfn|Ukers|1935|pp=438-439}} Teapots from [[earthenware]] were produced in [[Staffordshire]] from 1720 to 1780, with curious shapes (animals, houses, etc.) made possible using molds (and not the [[Potter's wheel|throwing wheel]]). [[Vitreous enamel|Enamelware]] was in wide use at the end of the 19th century.{{sfn|Ukers|1935|p=439}}

In the 20th century, the use of [[Aluminium|aluminum]] became popular.{{sfn|Ukers|1935|p=439}} The arrival of the [[Borosilicate glass|heatproof glass]] made a glass teapot possible, with the first "Teaket" design manufactured in 1932.{{sfn|Ukers|1935|p=444}}

=== Replacement handles ===
The early European teapots frequently had wooden handle replacements made from pear, [[hornbeam]], and [[sycamore]], either [[Wood stain|stained]] or [[Ebonising|ebonized]] (sometimes even made from [[ebony]]), connected to the pot's body using metal sockets.{{sfn|Harris|2016|p=51}} The use of wood to repair a broken ceramic handle started soon after the introduction of tea to Europe: the vessels were expensive and were not thrown away once damaged.{{sfn|Harris|2016|p=53}} To underscore the preciousness of the repaired teapot, the sockets were occasionally made from [[Silver-gilt|gilt silver]].{{sfn|Harris|2016|p=54}}