Teapots as we know them first appeared in the early Northern Song dynasty in China and gained in popularity during the Ming dynasty. They were made of the purple clay, zisha clay, that is said to only occur in the Yellow Dragon Cave of Dingshan town in Yixing, China. Through the years,  teapots have evolved to be made of various materials including glass and cast iron as well as fine china.  For the true tea connoisseur one can never have enough teapots! Choosing a teapot depends entirely upon the kind of tea you plan to brew. There is an old Chinese saying that goes "The utensil is the father of tea." Not only is there an aesthetic function to the teapot, but also a scientific one. Using the wrong kind of teapot can easily ruin the taste of the tea.