Hotel teapot in electroplate for Slade & Dolphin Ltd. Birmingham. Designed by Cyril Shiner, 1946.

The teapot is one component of a stacking service (along with M.31-2001, M.32-2001 & M.33-2001). Electroplated nickel silver, the body is a plain cylinder resting on a foot which is a plain, circular rim, the base of the body slopes downwards towards the centre. The top of the body is a wide, circular flange sloping away from the centre and slightly overlaps the side wall. The lid is enclosed within a rim which is a plain strip of flat wire, interrupted at the rear by two lugs, at right angles to the rim holding a plain tube secured by a pin which forms the hinge of the lid. The lid, a circular disc with a protruding flange at the rear which is soldered to the tube forming the hinge, the surface concave with a knop in the centre, a segment with a plain strip as a moulding. A small hole to allow for escaping steam is drilled in the lid immediately behind it. The lid and hinge is constructed so that the lid can be opened through 180°, allowing the teapot to be inverted and rest to drain and dry on a mesh rack in a hotel pantry. The handle, ‘D’ shaped in profile is of hollow construction, rectangular in cross section and with rows of drilled holes near the two junctions with the body to facilitate heat dispersal. The short spout, soldered diametrically opposite the handle to the side wall of the body, the lower edge shaped in an attenuated ‘S’ shaped profile, the top a straight sloping edge partially covered, the aperture square in cross section with a slightly curved lower edge. The wall of the teapot, perforated at the junction of spout to collect the tea leaves.

Purchased with assistance from the Yorke-Radleigh Trust Fund

This service was designed by Cyril Shiner for Slade and Dolphin and was later used by Saunders & Co Ltd. The price paid by the Museum is for the entire service.

Reason For Production: Retail

This teapot is part of a compact tea service that also includes a hot water jug, sugar bowl and milk jug. Every aspect of the design has been very carefully thought through. The recessed lids allow each element to stack neatly one on top of the other so that the Easi-Nest service can be stored as one piece in the restricted space of a commercial hotel pantry. In addition the lids swing back 180 degrees allowing the pots to drain easily when stored on drying racks.

The designer was Cyril Shiner (1908-1989). He was a major British silversmith and industrial designer who also had an excellent reputation as a gifted teacher.

M.30-2001