Antique Chinese Brass Bodhisattva Teapot with Foo Dog Spout & Prosperity Seal

Nestled among a tangle of excelsior as though recovered from a traveling merchant's trunk, this ornate Chinese-style brass teapot is a storyteller in metal. Cast with quiet reverence, its face bears a serene Bodhisattva figure on each side, framed in ornate garlands and butterflies, symbolic of transformation and rebirth.

The spout twists outward like a curled dragon's tongue, terminating in a fierce Foo Dog's head, a traditional guardian meant to ward off evil spirits. A humble rat figure crowns the lid, a quiet nod to wit and survival, possibly an homage to the Year of the Rat.

Most curiously, the base is stamped with a four-character Chinese seal, likely a blessing or studio signature. While it mimics older dynasty-style marks, its meaning aligns more with modern aspirations—perhaps 吉祥如意 "good fortune and as you wish."

It feels like it belongs in a box of oddities, resting between incense ash and fortune coins. A quiet relic from a world both sacred and theatrical.