Description: English Castleford-type white felspathic stoneware, octagonal teapot with molded and applied relief decoration and blue trim, which is attributed to Wood & Caldwell. A black basalt teapot in the identical pattern, illustrated in "Black Basalt" by Diana Edwards, is marked "W" and is attributed to Wood & Caldwell. There is also a similar example in black basalt listed as probably Wood & Caldwell in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (#C.32:1,2-1996). The removable octagonal lid has a folding flower finial highlighted in blue over a blue-outlined plain oval and molded radiating ribs. The edge of the straight octagonal neck is outlined in blue and has vertical fluting, over the sloped shoulder with a row of shells over floral swags. The sides are topped with a blue band over six arched panels with applied sprig molded decoration, each separated by classical-style columns topped with an acanthus leaf and all outlined in blue. One side panel has Venus on a shell propelled by two dolphins followed by a cupid on a dolphin, and the other has a group of six men around a table, one with a book and one with a musical instrument; these panels are flanked by panels with diamond-shaped reserves with large flowers. The lower body has a band of vertical acanthus leaves, each under an arch with the same classical-type columns, over a blue band around the flat octagonal base. The D-shaped handle is outlined in blue; the curved handle, which extends from the mid-point of the body, has ribbing at the base and an acanthus leaf at the blue-outlined lip edge.
Subjects: Pottery; Enamel and enameling; glaze (coating by location); Stoneware Link to share this object record: https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+1382.03 |