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Novelty Teapots
~ Sarita Dasgupta
Bordubi T.E.
T
he Museum of Tea Ware is
located in Hong Kong Park
which is beautifully laid out with
ponds, a waterfall, an aviary of exotic
birds and other interesting aspects.
Following the signs, I arrived at
Flagstaff House, a colonnaded building
which had no doubt been the residence
or office of some dignitary in the past.
On entering, I was handed a brochure
and saw that, in addition to the
permanent historical exhibits, unusual
teapots made by the leading potters of
Hong Kong were also on display. I was
fascinated by the strikingly different
teapots of various shapes made of
diverse materials including taps and
machine parts! It struck me then that
these kinds of unusual ‘novelty’ teapots
were probably made in the past too, in
various parts of the tea-drinking world.
The first novelty teapots were, in fact,
made in China and date back to the
reign of the Song Dynasty (960 – 1279
AD).The teapots were made in Yixing
from a special kind of porous clay found
there, called ‘zisha’ (purple clay). In
addition to the traditional teapots they
made, Yixing potters also tried their
hand at moulding novelty teapots in the
shapes of fruit with auspicious
connotations. The peach signifies ‘long
life’ and ‘good luck’, the pomegranate
means ‘numerous progeny’ and the
persimmon indicates ‘success in
business’ and ‘prosperity’.
A green glazed persimmon shaped
teapot dating back to the 9th century
is displayed at the Museum of Tea
Ware.
Once tea found its way westward and
Afternoon Tea became a ‘national
institution’ in England in the 18th
century, teapots of different shapes
and hues became popular. The
Staffordshire potters used their
imagination, inventiveness and also
their sense of humour, to make
novelty teapots. Josiah Wedgewood
and Thomas Whieldon made teapots
in the shape of pineapples,
cauliflowers and cabbages. George
Jones and Minton made Majolica
teapots shaped like animals, the most
popular among them being the
Minton Tortoise Teapot.
Throughout the 18th and 19th
centuries, interestingly shaped and
amusing teapots continued to be
made. In fact, in the 19th and 20th
century, some teapots were made as
satirical comments on contemporary
British politicians and other
prominent people. Teapots in the
likeness of Sir Winston Churchill,
complete with cigar in mouth, were
very popular. Teapots with Dame
Margaret Thatcher’s face found their
way into the market too. Elvis Presley
seated in an aeroplane poured tea into
many a cup!
The Victorians used teapots to
commemorate
special
events,
especially Queen Victoria’s Golden
and Diamond Jubilees. Special
teapots were made to mark the
coronations of the monarchs who
succeeded her, including Queen
Elizabeth II. Royal weddings have
also been commemorated with
teapots, the most recent being the
wedding of Prince William and
Princess Katherine. Teapots were
made to encourage patriotism during
wars as well.
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“The very sight of a teapot puts a smile on the face of most people. One cannot help but
think of more serene and genteel times. From a whimsical child’s teapot to an elegant
English Teapot, to collectible teapots that adorn some homes, they are a subtle reminder
of all that is good in this world.
”
~
Barbara Roberts
Peach
Pomegranate
Wedgewood Teapots
Minton Teapots
Sir Winston Churchill
Dame Margaret Thatcher
Elvis Presley