Malia Teapot - Cream

The Malia is a teapot in cream glazed ceramic, 17cm tall and 12cm across the body, tapering inwards as it rises. A long straight spout leaves it low down and lifts to about the height of the rim, and a large D shaped handle runs from the shoulder down to the base. The lid is a flat disc with a small cylindrical knob. Fine vertical fluting bands the lower third, and a thin darker line is painted round the edge of the lid and again round the shoulder.

It holds 1100ml. Against pale linen the cream reads cooler and greyer than it does against a white background, closer to a pale stone. At 17cm tall and 12cm across the body it sits on a tray or in the middle of a laid table without taking it over. The Malia range runs to a cup and saucer, mugs, bowls, plates, jugs and a platter in the same cream.

The glaze is reactive, so the cream is not even across the body: it gathers and thins over the fluting and the shoulder and comes out of the firing a different depth on every pot. The lines round the lid and the shoulder are painted by hand, so they vary in weight. The teapot is made in China by makers working to traditional methods that are increasingly at risk of being lost.

How much does it hold?

1100ml. The pot is 17cm tall and 12cm across the body.

Is it food safe?

Yes. The teapot is listed as food safe.

Will every teapot look the same?

Not exactly. The glaze is reactive, so it comes out of the firing a different depth of cream on every pot, and the lines round the lid and the shoulder are painted by hand.

Is there anything to match it?

Yes. The Malia range runs to a cup and saucer, mugs, bowls, plates, jugs and a platter in the same cream.

How do I look after it?

Rinse it with warm water after each use so that tea does not stain it. For a deeper clean, fill it with warm water and a few drops of mild dish soap and work the inside gently with a soft sponge or brush. Avoid abrasive scrubbers, which will scratch the glaze.