As far back as 8,000 years ago people began making clay and mixing it with water to make objects that were durable and could hold their shape. Pottery was a huge part of many early civilizations. For example, it was used to cook, store things, and hold food.
During the Shang dynasty (16th – 11th century BC) bronze vessels started to become heavily used for high ranking individuals. Traditional clay ceramic was used more by the common people. It is said that workshops of grey and white potters took some of the features from bronze vessels and decorated them ornately. The art and culture of pottery really thrived. During the Han Dynasty, ceramic warriors and beasts were created and buried with some Chinese officials. In Xian, the TerraCotta Warriors are probably one of the finest representatives of this art during the Qin Dynasty.
Another example of beautiful pottery is during the Tang Dynasty. They learned about different kinds of metal oxides and experimented with baking the clay at lower temperatures. Through the years, they found that by doing those things, they can produce very elegant looking tricolor glazed pottery. The glazed pottery would appear to be light yellow, reddish brown, and light green. Sculpting of figures, animals, or daily appliances has been practiced for many years during this dynasty. Today, the tricolor glazed pottery had been transported all over the world.
In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, tea developed as a simple and tasteful art. People who liked drinking tea used different types of teapots made using different methods. These teapots transferred heat slower and therefore kept the tea warmer for longer. Even today, you can still see people drinking tea the way the did after thousands of years.
Source: https://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/arts/pottery.htm