Tea Pets are little clay figures that hang out on your tea tray during tea time, providing a bit of character to the setup. They've been in popular usage with tea sets dating all the way back to the Song Dynasty, back in 1000 CE!
When you make the tea, whatever is left over and doesn't fit in the cups gets poured over the tea pet, for good luck and in service to whoever couldn't join you that day (think of it like an ancient Chinese version of pouring one out for the homies). Since they are traditionally made of yixing clay, they can change color over time, adopting the scent of the tea.
