Tempest in tiny teapots

Amazing how miniature teapot collecting has caught on and developed quite a following in the international scene.

The presence of so many teapot posts on eBay and Etsy is evidence that collectors indeed seek them out. They come in all shapes and patterns, to an almost unlimited degree.

They can be made of porcelain, brass, copper, wood, stone, resin, terracotta, lacquer, silver, enamel, etc. They are found in different sites from humble homes, all the way to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

They come in folkloric patterns, all the way to exquisite special-edition teapots coveted by discriminating collectors valued at less than a dollar to thousands of dollars for centuries-old ones from China. These miniature teapots are created by hobbyists in their homes as well as prestigious manufacturers in China, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, Italy, the United States and practically all over the world by craftsmen, artisans and artists.

Fifteen years ago, Lizette Olandres, then the operations manager for DeliFrance, was given a set of miniature blue and white teapots from her husband.

“I was fascinated by the intricacies of the design of the teapot given its size. It was, indeed, a labor of love and a work of art,” Lizette begins.

That started Lizette’s passion for miniature teapots; she’s since accumulated over 500 pieces, no two of which are alike. “There is beauty, versatility and uniqueness in each teapot,” Lizette says.

Her teapots are kept pretty much like jewelry — in individual small boxes — as she considers them her treasures. And she’s aptly named her bakeshop, along Pioneer Street in Mandaluyong, Tiny Teapot — a reference to her collection. There, one can have a cup of coffee or tea and indulge in the variety of breads and snacks; part of her teapot collection is even exhibited on shelves of the shop for all to appreciate.

Lizette likes looking at her teapots sitting on display cases. “I can create my own little teahouse party and have different setups, depending on my time and mood. I find it very amusing,” she adds.

“In the Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok, Thailand is a store that sells only miniature stuff. That is where my husband Diome and I go to get more in our spare time. Diome is very artistic and is also into music. So I also collect miniature musical instruments too,” she shares.

“My family and friends also collect teapots for me. Whenever they find tiny teapots, they buy them and give them to me as gifts on special occasions and as pasalubong to add to my collection. Roughly 25 percent of my collection came from them,” Lizette says proudly.

Being childless, Lizette and Diome have found mini teapot collecting a worthy hobby as the cost is not prohibitive and allows her a chance to “play” with her collection by rearranging them on their shelves. Teatime is time to relax. Time to bond and time to reminisce.

I personally associate tea and tea drinking with China and Japan as it is rooted deep in their cultures and traditions.

To this day, teahouses are a living testimony to the importance of tea in those cultures and its contribution to their economies. Many of its rituals have been lost, considering that “fast tea” — a name I use for teabag tea — has overtaken the ritual of brewing and serving tea. Surely, after over a thousand or more years, the tea-drinking culture has not disappeared and will continue to produce new versions of the original tea from the teapot for convenience and commercial purposes.

We eagerly await Lizette’s virtual teapot museum to be appreciated by an even wider audience, as the Tiny Teapot bakery grows into a full-blown restaurant very soon.

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Email the author at nikkicoseteng2017@gmail.com or text her at 0997-4337154. Photos by Ernie Penaredondo