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Teapot: C.21 & A & B-1915

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Object information

Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Factory: Josiah Wedgwood & Sons

Entities

Categories

Description

Caneware with dark grey reliefs, the interior of the pot glazed. The teapot is globular with a flared cape, straight spout and loop handle with a thumbpiece rising above the shoulder. The slightly convex circular cover has a pierced horizontal button knob. The body is decorated with vertical ferns of two alternating shapes, above are stars or seed heads. The shoulder is encircled by a stem with closely spaced paired sprouts. The handle has a fern at the bottom and three stars; the spout has six stars and a fern round the end. The cover (A) is decorated with a central petalled flower surrounded by radiating swirling ferns and stars, and there is a star on the knob.
The circular stand (B) has shallow curved sides and a slightly recessed base. On the inside there is turned indented band below the rim and a raised band round the emplacement for the pot. The sides are decorated with a continuous stem with closely paired leaves or fronds.

Notes

History note: Collection of Swann Hurrell, 30 Thompson’s Lane, Cambridge and from 1891, St Leonard’s (d. 1897); his niece, Miss Emily Beales, ‘Hurrell’, St Leonard’s on Sea

Legal notes

Given by Miss Emily Beales

Place(s) associated

  • Etruria ⪼ Staffordshire ⪼ England

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1915-06-26) by Beales, Emily, Miss

Dating

William IV
Circa 1830 - 1840

Note

Wedgwood was producing teapots in caneware by 1776, but was not yet satisfied with it. A 'New cane' was in production by 1779, but was not mentioned in the 1779 Catalogue. See Edwards, Diana, 'Recent Research in the Wedgwood Archives: Early Developments in Caneware', Ars Ceramica, Number 16 (2000), pp. 36-39. Caneware was first announced in the 1787 Catalogue, in which it was described as 'bamboo or cane-coloured bisque porcelain ... both plain, and enriched with Grecian and Etruscan ornaments.' According to Robin Reilly, Wedgwood, London, 1989, II, p. 482, 'The fern ornaments were in use by 1812, when they are recorded in Bateman's orders (e.g. 18-16278)'. On p. 477 however, in referring to borders, he mentions ''rose' and 'fern leaf' added no later than 1830'. In Wedgwood, The New Illustrated Dictionary, Woodbridge, 1995, p. 159, fern leaf decoration was introduced about 1830. The design is known as 'Darwin Pattern'.

School or Style

Neoclassical

Components of the work

Stand (B) Diameter 13.8 cm Height 1.5 cm
Teapot Height 12.5 cm Width 25.3 cm
Reliefs

Materials used in production

type of dry-bodied stoneware Caneware

Inscription or legends present

  • Text: WEDGWOOD
  • Location: On teapot and stand
  • Method of creation: Impressed
  • Type: Mark
  • Text: S
  • Location: On teapot and stand
  • Method of creation: Impressed
  • Type: Mark

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: C.21 & A & B-1915
Primary reference Number: 12025
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Friday 15 December 2023 Last processed: Friday 15 December 2023

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Teapot" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/12025 Accessed: 2024-12-22 14:15:49

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/12025 |title=Teapot |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-12-22 14:15:49|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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