Artifact of the Week: Chinese Teapot

This Chinese teapot has a fanciful floral and cloud pattern. Archaeologists recovered this artifact from Block 112 in Downtown San Diego. This section of San Diego housed a working class population during the late Victorian period (c.1880-1915).

While they worked and lived in traditional American fashion, each immigrant group maintained ties to their own community. The variety of other artifacts found at the site give a glimpse into the reality of assimilation for immigrants and ethnic minorities. This teapot shows that Chinese immigrants incorporated the traditions of their own culture into their new lives.

Date: Post-Contact Period (300 ya – present)
Material Class: Ceramics

Want to learn more? Visit the exhibit Block 112: The Untold Story of San Diego’s Working Class in the 1800s currently on view at the Center.