Tea pets have been an endearing aspect of Chinese tea traditions since the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368 AD).
Although Yixing, a city located in China, is probably best known for being the birthplace of the Yixing teapot, the city is also regarded as being the birthplace of tea pet.
Due to the popularity of Yixing clay teapots, Yixing became a major production center for a variety of tea-related products, such as teapots, tea cups, and other tea-related products. Initially, simple clay pieces were used as placeholders for tea-related accessories. At some point, artisans in the region also began molding Yixing clay into mythical creatures or animals to accompany the tea drinker on their journey, or bring about prosperity, sort of like a tea mascot or a good luck charm.
The production of tea pets is still concentrated in Yixing in the present day.
Despite the popularity of tea pets, there is very little written about their history and use in Chinese literature.