While terracotta teapots from both China and Japan are commonly found, some contained within a wicker basket, there do not seem do be any parallels to the ‘double’ form seen here where both the inner and outer vessels are made from the same material. Presumably the idea was to produce some from of ‘thermos’ and perhaps the outer vessel was lined with straw before the inner teapot was inserted to provide some form of heat retention. The patina of the terracotta may well have been intended to imitate bronze and the bands of studding on the outer vessel certainly derive from a metal original. The marks doubtless denote the maker and while they cannot be identified this does not detract from the originality of his work. Dating is most likely to the early twentieth century, probably to the Taisho period (1912-1924), and this piece was probably intended for the domestic rather than the export market.