The teapot is clearly a red clay with a black glaze. Under the right lighting conditions the red clay is visible through the black glaze. The pot has floral patterns on both sides, but the left side has a more elaborate pattern. Both flower paintings are a raised texture. On the spout, around the top opening, on the handle and on the lid are gold painted pinstripes. The word Japan appears to be hand painted on the bottom of the vessel. The teapot overall is in great condition, however you can see some spots where the glaze did not set perfectly and there are non-glazed areas on the bottom where I imagine the pot was set to bake.