The name says it all - a fluffy, slightly disgruntled little yellow bird. This little friend features a surprising amount of detail in their feathers, giving them a realistic look. The yellow feathers and white breast of this unglazed stoneware bird will yang beautifully, and the incised lines will darken and deepen first, giving the bird a complex layered quality to their feathers. Pouring tea on this bird evoke the spirit of fluffiness, flight, and youth.
Tea Pets 茶寵 (Chá Chǒng) are small figurines, usually made of unglazed stoneware (such as the kind teapots are made from), in the shape of animals, people, gods, mythical beasts, plants, fungi - pretty much anything at all. Their sole purpose is to be a recipient of waste water and waste tea produced over the course of the tea service from heating and rinsing the wares and leaves. Over time, they develop a patina of tea oils the way that tea pots do. This process of "raising" as it is called allows them to develop a dark, shiny lustre, with each tea pet taking on its own look and personality over time with use. They also serve a votive function - the pouring of tea over the figure calls in the "spirit" of whatever that figure represents. A good tea pet looks best when in use - ie when enjoying a stream of hot tea being poured over it.
