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56-504: Originally, in a tea party, loose leaf tea was provided in a teapot along with milk and sugar . A variety of food including sandwiches , scones , cakes , pastries and biscuits were served alongside tea in a tiered arrangement. Food served at tea parties was according to a particular season. People typically consumed light foods such as fruit during summer and spring seasons and more substantial fare in fall and winter .   Formal tea parties are generally characterised by

112-470: A tea infuser or tea strainer may be of some assistance, either to hold the leaves as they steep or to catch the leaves inside the teapot when the tea is poured. The switch to specialized vessel for tea brewing was powered by the change from the powdered tea to leaf tea and from whipping to steeping that occurred in China. It is hard to exactly pinpoint the time of the invention of a teapot, since vessels in

168-520: A "Pattern for an elephant and blanket" that was intended to be a child's toy. Two years later, the first known commercially available stuffed felt elephant originally sold as a pincushion , was made by Margarete Steiff , founder of the German Steiff company in 1880, using the Delinator pattern. Steiff used newly developed technology for manufacturing upholstery to make its stuffed toys. In 1892,

224-498: A broken ceramic handle started soon after introduction of tea to Europe: the vessels were expensive and were not thrown away once damaged. To underscore the preciousness of the repaired teapot, the sockets were occasionally made from gilt silver . One phenomenon that occurs with some teapots is that of dribbling where the flow runs down the outside of the spout particularly as the flow starts or stops. Different explanations for this phenomenon have been proposed at various times. Making

280-701: A character created by Michael Bond , were first produced by the family of Jeremy Clarkson in 1972, with the family eventually selling the rights to London-based Hamleys , the world's oldest toy store. More recent lines of stuffed animals have been created around unique concepts, like Uglydoll , introduced in 2001, with a number of recognizable characters and overarching style. Modern plushies from Japan are known for kawaii styles, generally thought of as (at least globally) starting with Sanrio 's Hello Kitty , with many popular characters from popular media like Pikachu and Eevee from Pokémon , and characters from stationery company San-X including Rilakkuma and

336-547: A different "Secret Code" that gave access to the Webkinz World website and a virtual version of the toy for online play. Webkinz's success inspired the creation of other stuffed toys containing codes to unlock digital content, such as the former online worlds Disney's Club Penguin and Build-A-Bearville from Build-A-Bear Workshop . In 2013, Disney launched its first collection of Disney Tsum Tsum stuffed toys based on characters from different Disney properties. Inspired by

392-459: A handle facing sideways to the spout although some kyusu, like their Chinese counterparts, have the handle located opposite the spout. Kyusu is frequently made of ceramics. The kyūsu, has its origins in a Chinese tool used for tea ceremonies, although the Chinese tool may have been used to boil water, and it is unclear if it was used to steep tea at the time. In Japan, kyusu was used since at least

448-599: A laughing and shaking plush toy based on the character Elmo from the Sesame Street television show, was released in 1996 and was soon in demand, with some people buying and reselling the toy for hundreds of dollars. This popularity sparked similar fads, including the robotic talking plush toy Furby released in 1998 and ZhuZhu Pets , a line of robotic plush hamsters released in 2009. The Internet also presented an opportunity for new stuffed toy fads. In 2005, Ganz launched its Webkinz stuffed toys, which each came with

504-523: A loosely fitting lid or a vent hole at the top of the pot, usually in the lid. The built-in strainer at the base of the spout got borrowed from coffeepots that in turn get this feature from the vessels designed for other liquids (the earliest known built-in strainer dates back to 1300 BC ). The coffee drip brew and coffee percolator were invented in the beginning of the 19th century, similar designs for tea were developed soon after that. Modern infusers originated in 1817, when an English patent

560-507: 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. If the handles were made from silver, they would be attached to the body of the pot 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. Teapots made of tin arrived around 1700, allowing for

616-657: A range of materials. The earliest were created from felt, velvet , or mohair and stuffed with straw, horsehair , or sawdust . Following World War II, manufacturers began to adopt more synthetic materials into production, and in 1954, the first teddy bear made from easily washable materials was produced. Modern stuffed toys are commonly constructed of outer fabrics such as plain cloth, pile textiles like plush or terrycloth , or sometimes socks. Common stuffing materials include synthetic fiber , batting , cotton , straw , wood wool , plastic pellets , and beans . Some modern toys incorporate technology to move and interact with

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672-455: A separate vessel, and distributed into the small cups of several drinkers, and brewed again. This allows the tea to be skillfully brewed, and for the flavor changes to be experienced through the various infusions. Teapots made from pottery materials such as clay have been hand-fired for tens of thousands of years, originally in China. Clay is a popular material for teapots, as they tend to retain heat very well. Many traditional Chinese teaware

728-420: A strainer built-in on the inner edge of the spout. A small air hole in the lid is often created to stop the spout from dripping and splashing when tea is poured. In modern times, a thermally insulating cover called a tea cosy may be used to enhance the steeping process or to prevent the contents of the teapot from cooling too rapidly. Dry tea is available either in tea bags or as loose tea , in which case

784-712: A tea party at Buckingham Palace . The afternoon tea party became a feature of great houses in the Victorian and Edwardian ages in the United Kingdom and the Gilded Age in the United States , as well as in all continental Europe (France, Germany, and the Russian Empire ). The formal tea party still survives as an event, as in the debutante teas of some affluent American communities. Traditionally, servants stayed outside

840-647: A teapot could be used to make tea, provided that the walls of the teapot were more than one centimetre thick. A teapot has a rather distinctive shape, and its fame may sometimes have little to do with its primary function. Stuffed toy A stuffed toy is a toy doll with an outer fabric sewn from a textile and stuffed with flexible material. They are known by many names, such as plush toys , plushies , lovies , stuffed animals , diane , and stuffies ; in Britain and Australia, they may also be called soft toys or cuddly toys . The stuffed toy originated from

896-443: A teapot. In the last half of the 18th century, English factories introduced the matched sets of teaware. The original demand for "China" porcelain tea sets was eventually replaced, at least among the wealthy, with enthusiasm for silver pieces that were extensively produced by the end of the reign of George III . This period also saw a reduction in the price of tea, so teapots became larger. Also, cheaper pewter sets were made for

952-461: A very low-cost designs. At the same time the use of britanniaware had started. Nickel plating was introduced in the second half of the 19th century. Teapots from earthenware were produced in Staffordshire from 1720 to 1780, with curious shapes (animals, houses, etc.) made possible by using molds (and not the throwing wheel ). Enamelware was in wide use at the end of the 19th century. In

1008-400: A vessel used for steeping tea leaves or a herbal mix in boiling or near-boiling water , and for serving the resulting infusion which is called tea . It is one of the core components of teaware . Teapots usually have an opening with a lid at their top, where the dry tea and hot water are added, a handle for holding by hand and a spout through which the tea is served. Some teapots have

1064-459: Is yixing ware . Yixing and other regional clays are left unglazed. This allows the clay to absorb the flavor of the teas brewed over time, and enhance the flavor of the tea going forward. Some Gongfu practitioners designate their unglazed pots for specific types, sometimes even specific varietals of tea. From the end of the 17th century tea was shipped from China to Europe as part of the export of exotic spices and luxury goods. The ships that brought

1120-504: Is considered to be drinkable only when it has foam on top. Teapots have a long curved spout in order to pour tea from a height of around 12 inches (30 cm) above the glasses, which produces foam on the surface of the tea. Their designs can range from simple to heavily-decorated. Teapots for butter tea in Tibet evolved simultaneously with teapots of China, eventually settling on a pitcher-like shape. The Yixing teapots came to Europe with

1176-1200: Is famous enough. These toys are filled with soft plush material. Stuffed toys come in an array of different sizes, with the smallest being thumb-sized and the largest being larger than a house. However, the largest somewhat commonly produced stuffed toys are not much bigger than a person. Most stuffed toys are designed to be an appropriate size for easy cuddling . They also come in a wide variety of colors, cloth surfaces, fur textures, and humanizing embellishments. Stuffed toys are commonly sold in stores worldwide. Vendors are often abundant at tourist attractions, airports, carnivals, fairs, downtown parks, and general public meeting places of almost any nature, especially if there are children present. Hoffmann von Fallersleben wrote in 1835: "Bring’ uns, lieber Weihnachtsmann, Bring’ auch morgen, bringe Musketier und Grenadier, Zottelbär und Pantherthier, Roß und Esel, Schaf und Stier, Lauter schöne Dinge!" which can be translated as: "Dear Father Christmas, bring us musketeer and grenadier, shaggy bear and panther, steed and donkey, sheep and steer: lots of lovely things." In 1878, The Delineator , an American magazine that offered sewing patterns, offered

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1232-555: The Sumikko Gurashi characters. There is also a trend of Japanese plushies being shaped like mochi . Children, as well as adults, can form connections with their stuffed toys, often sleeping or cuddling with them for comfort. They can be sentimental objects that reduce anxiety around separation , self-esteem , and fear of the night . In 2019 about a third of British adults reported sleeping with soft toys, and almost half had kept their childhood toys. Stuffed toys are made from

1288-633: The Ithaca Kitty became one of the first mass-produced stuffed animal toys in the United States, which was sold as "The Tabby Cat" printed pattern on muslin by Arnold Print Works . The toy industry significantly expanded in the early 20th century. In 1903, Richard Steiff , nephew of Margarete, designed a soft stuffed bear that differed from earlier traditional rag dolls because it was made of plush furlike fabric. As an art student in Stuttgart he visited

1344-576: The Ming dynasty , teapots were widespread in China. There are early examples of teapots, like the ones made in Jun ware and the eight-lobed celadon pots of the Song-Yuan times, but an expert on Yixing ware , Kuei-Hsiang Lo , believes that the first teapots made especially for tea appeared around 1500 as copies of much earlier Yixing wine pots. The earliest example of such teapot that has survived to this day seems to be

1400-478: The Steiff company of Germany in the late 19th century and gained popularity following the creation of the teddy bear in the United States in 1903. At the same time, German toy inventor Richard Steiff designed a similar bear. In 1903, Peter Rabbit was the first fictional character to be made into a patented stuffed toy. In 1921, Christopher Robin 's stuffed toy, given to him by his father, A. A. Milne , would inspire

1456-518: The Tang dynasty , a cauldron was used to boil ground tea, which was served in bowls. Song dynasty tea was made by boiling water in a kettle then pouring the water into a bowl with finely ground tea leaves. A brush was then used to stir the tea. Written evidence of a teapot appears in the Yuan dynasty text Jiyuan Conghua , which describes a teapot that the author, Cai Shizhan, bought from the scholar Sun Daoming . By

1512-466: The 18th century. The side arrangement of the handle is considered to be unique to Japan, however, the same feature can be found in some of the Chinese tools mentioned above. In Morocco, stainless steel teapots are an essential to make Moroccan mint tea . Moroccan teapots are heat resistant and can be put directly on the stove. With colorful tea glasses, they are part of the Moroccan tea ritual. The tea

1568-424: The 20th century as a practical and decorative object in the kitchen. Teapots evolved from the designs where the lid was resting in a recess of the body of the vessel to the lid sitting on top of the body, and then to the modern design with the deep flanges of the lid preventing it from falling out. When the tea is being poured out, outside air needs to enter the body of the teapot; therefore design involves either

1624-425: The 20th century, use of aluminum became popular. Arrival of the heatproof glass made a glass teapot possible, with the first "Teaket" design manufactured in 1932. The early European teapots frequently had wooden handles replacements made from pear, hornbeam , sycamore , either stained or ebonized (sometimes even made from ebony ), connected to the body of the pot using metal sockets. Use of wood to repair

1680-526: The Chinese bocarro designs. Many English potteries, however, decided not to risk money on the new material, and continued the manufacturing of earthenware and stoneware pots; the famed creamware services made in Staffordshire reached popularity in the second half of the 18th century. At the turn of 18th century, design and decoration of the European teapot started to deviate from the Chinese tradition, with

1736-603: The United Kingdom, and the United States. Many people also handmade their own stuffed toys. For instance, sock monkeys originated when parents turned old socks into toys during the Great Depression . In 1921, A. A. Milne bought a stuffed toy from Harrods department store in London for his son Christopher Robin , a toy which would later inspire the author's creation of Winnie-the-Pooh . Stuffed toys of Paddington Bear ,

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1792-615: The creation of Winnie-the-Pooh . In the 1970s, London-based Hamleys , the world's oldest toy store, bought the rights to Paddington Bear stuffed toys. In the 1990s, Ty Warner created Beanie Babies , a series of animals stuffed with plastic pellets that were popular as collector's items. Stuffed toys are made in many different forms, but most resemble real animals (sometimes with exaggerated proportions or features), mythological creatures , cartoon characters, or inanimate objects. They can be commercially or home-produced from numerous materials, most commonly pile textiles like plush for

1848-482: The external surface of the spout more hydrophobic, and reducing the radius of curvature of the inside of the tip so that the flow detaches cleanly can avoid dribbling. A chocolate teapot is an analogy for any useless item; a teapot made from chocolate would melt, and be impossible to use. Experimental researchers in 2001 did indeed fail to successfully use a chocolate teapot they had made. Later research, however, by The Naked Scientists in 2008, showed that such

1904-399: The famous ' Why is a raven like a writing desk? '. The Hatter reveals that they have tea all day because time has punished him by eternally standing still at 6 pm (tea time). Alice becomes insulted and tired of being bombarded with riddles and she leaves, claiming that it was the craziest tea party that she had ever attended. Notes Further reading Teapot A teapot is

1960-414: The form of animals, especially bears (in the case of teddy bears), mammalian pets such as cats and dogs , and highly recognizable animals such as zebras , tigers , pandas , lizards , and elephants . Many fictional animal-like characters from movies, TV shows, books, or other entertainment forms often appear in stuffed toy versions, as do both real and fictional humans if the individual or character

2016-969: The formalities of that age have disappeared, particularly since World War II, when economic changes made household servants a rarity, but afternoon tea can still provide a good opportunity for intimate conversation and a refreshing light meal. Queen Elizabeth II's favourite tea cakes were honey and cream sponge and chocolate biscuit cake. Tea sandwiches might include smoked salmon, egg mayonnaise or ham and mustard among other offerings. Crustless triangle shaped tuna sandwiches can be served on buttered loaves with thinly sliced cucumbers. "Kettle drums" came about in 18th and 19th centuries and are informal large afternoon parties for tea. At kettle drums, guests traditionally came for short periods and left at will, mingled and conversed with little formality, and partook of tea, chocolate , lemonade, cakes, and sandwiches. Guests were expected to dress for ordinary daytime visiting, but not more formally. Per false folk etymology ,

2072-575: The guests consist of stuffed animals , dolls , friends (both real and imaginary ) and family members . In Lewis Carroll 's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland , in the chapter "A Mad Tea-Party", Alice becomes a guest at a tea party along with the March Hare , the Hatter , and a sleeping Dormouse who remains asleep for most of the chapter. The other characters give Alice many riddles and stories, including

2128-592: The industry overall. Teddy bears were an early fad that quickly grew into a cultural phenomenon. Close to 100 years later, in the 1990s, Ty Warner created Beanie Babies , a series of animals stuffed with plastic pellets. The toys became a fad through marketing strategies that increased demand and encouraged collection. Pillow Pets , which can be folded from a pillow into a stuffed animal, were another successful brand, launching in 2003 and selling more than 30 million toys between 2010 and 2016. Other recent fads have involved toys paired with technology. Tickle Me Elmo ,

2184-504: The less-affluent, mostly as simplified copies of the silver pieces. In colonial America, Boston became the epicenter for silver production and artistry. Among the many artists in Boston there were four major families in the city's silver market: Edwards, Revere, Burt and Hurd. Their works of art included silver teapots. Two new "Colonial" shapes appeared in the late Georgian period : oval and octagonal teapots with flat bases, plain handles in

2240-476: The most popular toys, especially for children. Their uses include imaginative play, comfort objects , display or collecting, and gifts to both children and adults for occasions such as graduation, illness, condolences, Valentine's Day , Christmas , or birthdays. In 2018, the global market for stuffed toys was estimated to be US$ 7.98 billion , with the growth in target consumers expected to drive sales upwards. Many stuffed toys have become fads that have boosted

2296-448: The name "kettle drum" is said to have originated in the informal tea gatherings hosted by British camp officers' wives during East India Company rule or the British occupation of India , during which kettle drums are claimed to have served as tea tables in the camps. Alternatively, "kettle drum" may have been an amalgam of "drum" — 18th-century slang for a vivacious party — and "kettle" for

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2352-542: The one in the Flagstaff House Museum of Teaware ; it has been dated to 1513 and is attributed to Gong Chun, the "father of Yixing teapot". Early teapots, like those still used in modern Gongfu tea ceremony , are small by western standards meant for the individual consumption of tea. They use a higher ratio of leaves to water, which enables the brewer to control the variables of brewing to create several small infusions. After brewing, tea would then be decanted into

2408-449: The outer material and synthetic fiber for the stuffing. Often these toys are designed for children, but stuffed toys are popular for a range of ages and uses and have been marked by fads in popular culture that sometimes affected collectors and the value of the toys. Stuffed toys are distinguishable from other toys mainly by their softness, flexibility, and resemblance to animals or fictional characters. Stuffed toys most commonly take

2464-410: The pear shape, or pyriform being the first major novation. An early English pyriform teapot dates back to 1690, the shape became widespread at the time of Queen Anne and remains in vogue since then. The other popular shapes in the 18th century were "globular" (sphere-like vessel on a raised foot) and a vase (or urn, Louis XV style ), with the latter being a rare comeback to the wine-pot origins of

2520-403: The room until needed. This was due to the rigidity of social conventions and also reflected the intimate nature of the afternoon tea. Proving the truth of 18th-century author Henry Fielding 's quip that "love and scandal are the best sweeteners of tea", the custom of banning servants from the drawing room during tea shows the hostess's desire to encourage free conversation among her guests. Most of

2576-414: The shape of C, and, frequently, straight tapering spouts. Ability of a teapot to keep heat depends on the material, for example, stoneware is supposed to keep the heat better than porcelain. To keep teapots hot after tea is first brewed, English households since 18th century employed the tea cosy , a padded fabric covering, much like a hat, that slips over the tea pot. The tea cosy got very popular in

2632-404: The shapes similar to the modern teapot were known in China since Neolithic period , but were initially used for water and wine, as boiling or whipping tea did not require a specialized container. When tea preparation switched to infusion (during the late Yuan dynasty ), at first an ewer -like vessel were used for this purpose. Tea preparation during previous dynasties did not use a teapot. In

2688-463: The tea also carried porcelain teapots. The majority of these teapots were painted in blue and white underglaze . Porcelain, being completely vitrified, will withstand sea water without damage, so the teapots were packed below deck whilst the tea was stowed above deck to ensure that it remained dry. The kyūsu (急須), a common and traditional teapot in Japan, differs from the Chinese teapot in that it has

2744-511: The tea and became known as boccarro ("large mouth" in Portuguese). The Chinese teapot models were used, since the preservation of the Chinese way of drinking was considered to be essential. The first known order for teapots "with covers and handles" dates back to 1639. Porcelain teapots were particularly desirable because porcelain could not be made in Europe at that time, and tea drinking in Europe

2800-496: The tea served. Tea party etiquette depends on the customs and accepted standards of behaviour of a given time period and place. 1900 etiquette demonstrated etiquette to be linked with conservative and rigid gender roles. Manners were of utmost importance in the proper conduct of men and women in early tea parties. There are several rules of etiquette noted during the 19th and 20th centuries. Various rules of etiquette included: Tea parties are sometimes hosted by young children where

2856-490: The use of prestige utensils , such as porcelain , bone china or silver . Tables may be set with napkins and matching cups and plates . In the past, afternoon tea parties were hosted regularly; however, presently tea parties are becoming like social gathering events in high tea restaurants where tea and food is presented in a traditional manner. Queen Victoria reportedly ordered "16 chocolate sponges, 12 plain sponges, 16 fondant biscuits" along with other sweets for

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2912-511: The user. Manufacturers sell two main types of stuffed toys: licensed, which are toys of characters or other licensed properties, or basic, which take the shape of ordinary animals or other non-licensed subjects. Stuffed toys can also be homemade from numerous types of fabric or yarn . For instance, amigurumi is a traditional Japanese type of knitted or crocheted stuffed toy typically made with an oversized head and undersized extremities to look kawaii ('cute'). Stuffed toys are among

2968-676: The zoo and sketched the bears, which became the inspiration for his first life-like toy bear, known as "55 PB". At the same time, in the US, Morris Michtom created the first teddy bear after being inspired by a drawing of President "Teddy" Roosevelt with a bear cub. In 1903, the character Peter Rabbit from English author Beatrix Potter was the first fictional character to be made into a patented stuffed toy. The following year they went on sale and were mass produced by Steiff. The popularity of stuffed toys grew, with numerous manufacturers forming in Germany,

3024-428: Was granted for a "tea or coffee biggin", a metal basket that sat at the bottom of the teapot. Many more tea leaf holder designs had followed, with tea ball and tea-making spoon arriving in the first half of the 19th century. The first automated electric teapot was invented in 1909. The typical materials used for teapots have been stoneware (Yixing), porcelain , silver and gold. Making teapots from silver has

3080-467: Was initially the preserve of the upper classes. European teapots at the time were made of silver, with the earliest preserved English one, at the Victoria and Albert Museum , dated 1670, it looks identical to the earlier coffee pots and can be identified as a teapot only through an inscription. At the same time, the production of the copies of the Chinese earthenware teapots started (Fulham Pottery in London

3136-548: Was manufacturing these already in 1670). It was not until 1708 that the first successful experiments by von Tschirnhaus enabled Böttger , and the Meissen factory in Dresden started the operation in 1710 and produced good copies of Japanese Kakiemon and Imari porcelain. When European potteries in Holland, Germany, and England began to make their own tea wares they at first imitated

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