Lusterware Teapot

From the collections of PVMA • Digital image © Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Assoc. • Image use information

About this item

Tea drinking had evolved by the 18th century into an elaborate ritual that exhibited the social sophistication of its users. This mass-produced teapot from the early 19th century allowed the middle class to participate in an activity that had originally been confined to the leisured rich. Lusterware was intended to look like the more expensive sterling silver, but the difference in cost between the two was considerable, making it available to more people. Its silver appearance is owed to a finish of platinum salts over a clay body. The pot is shaped like other tea vessels, both metal and ceramic, that were in fashion in the 19th century, complete with bands of gadrooning (a line of convex curves), a compact but generous body, and an ear-shaped handle.

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Details

Item typeFood Service Equipment
CreatorUnidentified
Date1800–1820
PlaceEngland
TopicFood, Cooking, Beverage, Alcohol
EraThe New Nation, 1784–1815
National Expansion and Reform, 1816–1860
MaterialClay
Process/FormatCeramic
Dimension detailsHeight: 6.25 in Length: 11.00 in
Catalog #1990.518
View this item in our curatorial database →
Unidentified. Lusterware Teapot. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/1990-518/. Accessed on December 6, 2024.

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