Why so expensive?
Owned by N. Sethia Foundation in the UK, the teapot is made from 18-carat yellow gold with cut diamonds embedded on it. The highlight is the large 6.67-carat central ruby. The teapot’s handle is made from fossilized mammoth ivory. The lid of the teapot is also embossed with rubies and diamonds. Drinking tea from this teapot will transport you back to the era of Maharajas. Twitter users do not seem to agree with this.
One user reacted by saying it does not make sense. Another user shared a picture of their tea cup saying,“ It tastes the same”. Others wondered about its usefulness, will it do something else than tea?
A rare piece of artwork
While some of us might wonder about the teapot’s practicality, its purpose is not to serve tea but serve as an artwork. It is part of the Chitra Collection. They are known for their collection of beautiful and expensive teapots and tea sets. Some of their artistic teapots include- Monkey Teapot. This teapot was previously in the collection of His Royal Highness, 1st Duke of Windsor, formerly King Edward VIII. Another beautiful teapot is Inspired by a mythological Indian story about Lord Shiva, one of the principal deities of Hinduism, this gold, silver, and malachite teapot is decorated with a large cobra studded with vivid yellow diamonds that form the handle and coils itself around to create the base. A similarly decorated smaller cobra forms the lid and finial.
As mentioned on Chitra Collection’s website, Nirmal Sethia, the founder of Newby Teas, is ‘passionate about creating the finest teas and reviving the art of tea making and drinking’. With his collection, Nirmal hopes that the respect for tea and its traditions can be rekindled. To support this mission, Nirmal Sethia has designed and commissioned a series of 21st-century teapots, in celebration of tea’s extraordinary history.