You can also visit antique stores or flea markets. Many times, sellers will provide information about the teapot and its current condition so you can determine if it’s worth investing in. Today, the best option is to do an online search. If you’re interested in collecting antique teapots, there are plenty of places you can scavenge for them. Because of this, if it’s glazed with vibrant colors, you probably don’t want to risk drinking out of it. Some vintage teapots might also be covered with toxic lead paint. Overusing it could wear down its components and make it more susceptible to breaking. ![]() For instance, if your teapot is hundreds of years old, it’s best to keep it as a display piece. You can drink out of them, but there are a few things you’ll want to consider. Tea drinkers would only ration a small amount each time, so a large teapot would be considered excessive. This is because tea was quite expensive centuries ago. Consider its SizeĪntique teapots will be very small. Antique teapots will be much heavier than their modern counterparts because they were constructed out of heavy pieces like silver and pewter. Weigh ItĪnother way to tell the age of a teapot is to weigh it. If it appears worn or has embedded finger smudges, it’s probably an old model. The best way to tell if you have an antique teapot is to look at the handle. While these could slightly lower the value of the teapot, they assist you in correctly dating it. You might also want to inspect the teapot for marks and scratches. It wasn’t until a century later that the sides were straightened. Afterward, they slowly became more oval or pear-shaped. The last thing to consider is the shape of the item. You can carefully flip the appliance upside down to see if there are markings. This is especially so with teapots that were manufactured during the 19th-century. If they were produced by a company, they might instead feature a unique emblem. Since these teapots were made by hand, look for irregular circles and slight imperfections around the holes.īecause these were designed by artisans, many would carve their initials or the date into the bottom. If there are three or four, it’s an antique. One of the best ways to date your teapot is to examine its features.Ī common indicator that your teapot is old is by looking at the spout holes. Here are a few ways you can determine the age of your teapot. While a teapot might look old, that doesn’t always mean that it’s an antique. Bachelor teapots come in various designs with some mimicking art deco or Queen Anne ones. This allowed someone to easily make a cup of tea for themselves rather than a large batch that might go to waste. Louisīachelor teapots are the smallest option because they were meant for only one person to use. However, it wasn’t always the most practical as the spout had a large opening that caused tea to spill out quickly. Created during the late 1700s, it was one of the first Western teapot styles. Georgian teapots are known for their smooth round body that connects to a short spout. ![]() These items soon spread throughout the country as more colonies became states. Rather than fashioning clay into a teapot, craftsmen would fuse silver and pewter segments. Numerous explorers brought the teapot with them during their travels which helped introduce it to more places throughout the world, such as India.Īs settlers began living in the New World, they designated Boston as the center of teapot making. Teapots became a staple in the continent and inspired many European artists to make their own. As globalization emerged, Europe was soon gifted with teapots during the 17th-century thanks to Chinese imports. Unlike today, users wouldn’t pour the tea into a cup, but rather brew the leaves and then drink the liquid out of the spout.Įventually, the teapot was introduced to Japan with the help of traveling Chinese businessmen. Early teapots were known for their purple color which was due to the special clay they were molded out of. The teapot first appeared in China during the 1500s. Below you’ll discover more behind this essential tea tool and how you can differentiate between its antique styles. These objects also underwent many upgrades that altered their appearance. Teapots have been around for centuries and have a vast history that might surprise you. A Guide to Prohibition Era Clothing & Styles - December 23, 2021.Vintage Navigational Tools (And How They’re Useful Today) - December 25, 2021.History of Smith-Corona Typewriters: From Shotguns to Spell Check - December 27, 2021.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |