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At AC Silver our collection includes a variety of silver teapots, tea sets, tea strainers, and more, each one carefully selected for its exceptional craftsmanship and design. All items of silver teaware are also handpicked by Andrew Campbell and only the finest of their types are added to the AC Silver inventory.
Teaware is a varied collection of equipment that is used in the act of brewing and consuming tea. There are many different types and styles of teaware; these differ depending upon the specific beverage and the cultural setting in which it is being prepared.
AC Silver offer a 14-day return policy, and include a free shipping with all vintage and antique silverware.
Like drinking customs, teaware developed as a response to the needs and tastes of people throughout the world at different times in history.
The earliest recorded use of tea dates back to the ancient Chinese Han Dynasty (206-220BC). At this time, tea was consumed from multi-functional bowls. Tea became a form of cultural art sometime between the Tang and Song Dynasties (960-1279AD). Before then, there was no special teaware designed to enhance the consumption of tea.
This new spiritual and aesthetic appreciation of tea led to a refinement in the making process. In turn, this led to the introduction of new types of teaware. This included grinders to crush the tea into powder, bamboo sieves, storage containers and bamboo whisks.
Since this period, the form of tea itself has remained fairly constant. However, traditions and brewing methods have evolved in keeping with different eras and cultures. This has resulted in a wide variety of antique teaware, much of which is still available to us today.
Tea (and the teaware that came with it) was not popular in Europe until much later in history, around the 1600s. A key figure in cementing tea as a prevalent drink in Britain was King Charles II. Charles grew up in the Dutch capital while in exile, and became used to tea and the customs surrounding it there. When the monarchy was re-established and he took the throne, he and his wife Catherine brought with them this foreign tea tradition. It was from here that the popularity of the beverage began to steadily climb.
By the early Georgian era, tea ceremonies were an important part of daily social life among the upper classes. The teapot (vital to any teaware set) was considered to be an indispensable piece of household equipment. Tea was an expensive commodity; particularly the refined kind drank by the wealthier classes. This exclusivity was evident in the teaware that was produced at this time.
In this period, teaware was predominantly made from materials such as silver in order to reflect the luxuriousness of the product. Such was the popularity of silver teaware at this time that tea tables were often known as ‘silver’ or ‘china’ tables after the tea wares that were displayed on them. This abundance of accessories included:
Coffee pots and tea kettles were not considered to be a necessary part of teaware collections until the reign of Queen Victoria. These additions coincided with the fashion for taking mid-afternoon tea, and allowed for a more extravagant tea ceremony experience. This extension is an example of how teaware has adapted throughout time to suit cultural trends.
Silver teaware is still used in many homes as part of an elegant dining experience, particularly when entertaining guests. Antique silver teaware is highly sought after, and very collectable. Smaller items of teaware such as caddy spoons can often be found in novel forms that make humorous additions to any home. Additionally, important teaware items such as teapots can be found in many different styles and patterns. Antique silver teaware is exceptionally resilient to trends, due to it being such a staple part of life globally throughout the centuries.