Teapot

Object Name:

Teapot

Object ID:

1980.047.07 a-b

Place of Origin:

England

Date:

1790-1810

Description:

Child's teapot with removable lid. Pearlware. a: Bulbous body with short, straight neck, "S" shaped spout with a five hole build-in strainer, and loop handle. Hamdpainted dark green decoration, sparsely applied including a narrow green band on rim of pot, chain decoration below the rim on pot, crows' feet decoration on either side of chairn and six and small floral sprigs on the body. Variation of chain design on handle and spout.
b: Lid is circular with a ball shaped finial and one vent hole. Decoration incluldes a chain with crows' feet around it and a leaf decoration on the finial. There are concentric circles on bottom of both pot and lid fron the wheel throwing process. Adhesive labels on botton of both pot and lid: "M/293." No maker's mark seen.

Apple-shaped (or globular) teapot with straight neck 2.125" in diameter, and plain foot rim 2" in diameter. Simple loop handle with plain terminals; slightly s-curved spout with strainer base. Domed cover with globe knob and shallow flange. Decoration consists of blue painted rim on edge of teapot, spout and cover; and dark olive green sprigged decoration. Three-pronged sprigs form horizontal lines seperated by chain motif on cover and on upper half of body; in the lower half of the bodyeach side has central motif of olive green abstract floral design flanked by dark green branches composed of three leaves. Spout and handle patterned with series of lines which form a decorative band. Knob decorated with sunburst motif.

Glaze has bluish tinge, particularly where it has pooled into crevices. Much crazing. No mark except for "M293" written in ball-point pen on tag pasted to bottom, and pasted on inside cover. Excellent condition.

Donor had two notes inside teapot. One: "This teapot is over 100 years old. Came through the Hillens & Hicks." One, reverse side: "Oct. 10, 1910." Two: "E. Morton Nance. The Pottery and Porcelain of Swansea and Nantgarm. London, 1942. Plate XV, Figure G, rather similar teapot illustrated, Swansea, about 1797-1810. Met. Museum April 1951. Curator."

According to Ivor Noel-Hume, "Pearlware: Forgotten Milestone of English Ceramic History", The Magazine Antiques (March 1969), Wedgwood first introduced pearlware to the market in 1779 (p. 391). In this article is pictured a teapot and cover of similar shape (except the spout in photograph is tubular), dating c. 1790-1800 (fig. 2, p. 392). Noel-Hume also states in "A Guide to Artifacts of Colonial America", p. 129, that from c. 1795, pearlware was decorated in underglaze polychrome colors usually in floral or geometric patterns. From 1795 to 1815 the colors were generally softer; 1815-1835, bright blue, orange, green, and a pinkish-red became popular among the poorer classes. After 1820, pearlware declined in popularity (p. 130).

See John P. Cushion, "Pottery & Porcelain Tablewares", p. 193, for drawings of miniature porcelain teapots of similar shape. Geoffrey A. Godden, "The Illustrated Guide to Lowestoft Porcelain", illustrates (fig. 190) a cup and saucer with similar type of sprigged decoration which he describes as "enamelled in the French taste taken up by the English potters in the 1790's". This type of decoration has been associated with New Hall production (see Godden, "An Illustrated Encyclopedia of British Pottery and Porcelain", fig. 442). For related piece in collection, see 1942.5.28a,b.

Material:

Ceramic
Earthenware - Pearlware

Dimensions:

H-4.375 Dia-3.25 inches

Credit Line:

Gift of Alma Duckworth

People:

Duckworth, Alma (1899-2003)