Beast Twist yixing clay woodfired teapot # 94835Literal translation: "beast knob teapot" () a teapot whose lid is topped by a modeled animal () finial or knop (). Brief history: Lid finials shaped as animals are a long standing decorative and functional feature in Chinese ceramics and teapots. Such motifs appear from Song and Yuan wares and became especially popular in the Ming and Qing dynasties. The form is widely seen in Jiangsu and Zhejiang workshop traditions and is well known in Yixing zisha