Teapot
1879 (designed), ca. 1879 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
Because tea is made by infusing dried tea leaves in boiling water, the handle of the teapot is often made of wood or some other organic material to prevent it from becoming too hot.
Design & Designing
Christopher Dresser designed utilitarian objects for the general public, making full use of the latest techniques of mass production, and he is therefore often regarded as the 'father of industrial design'. His most innovative designs were for objects to be made in metal. Unlike his designs for ceramics and glass, which often resemble plant forms in their shape, ornamentation or colouring, his designs for metalwork objects tend to be fully abstracted from their organic source. He frequently employed symmetrical, rectilinear shapes and undecorated surfaces. This design appears in the costing book of James Dixon & Sons for 1879 as design no. 2277 and is described as 'English Japanese', pointing to the Japanese influence in some of Dresser's most radical metalwork designs.
Trading
Dresser was a prolific worker and produced designs for numerous manufacturers, including Hukin & Heath (about 1878-1890s), Elkingtons (about 1875-1888) and James Dixon & Sons (about 1879-1890s). Some of his designs were considered too ahead of their time to go into production, and six exist only as prototypes.
Because tea is made by infusing dried tea leaves in boiling water, the handle of the teapot is often made of wood or some other organic material to prevent it from becoming too hot.
Design & Designing
Christopher Dresser designed utilitarian objects for the general public, making full use of the latest techniques of mass production, and he is therefore often regarded as the 'father of industrial design'. His most innovative designs were for objects to be made in metal. Unlike his designs for ceramics and glass, which often resemble plant forms in their shape, ornamentation or colouring, his designs for metalwork objects tend to be fully abstracted from their organic source. He frequently employed symmetrical, rectilinear shapes and undecorated surfaces. This design appears in the costing book of James Dixon & Sons for 1879 as design no. 2277 and is described as 'English Japanese', pointing to the Japanese influence in some of Dresser's most radical metalwork designs.
Trading
Dresser was a prolific worker and produced designs for numerous manufacturers, including Hukin & Heath (about 1878-1890s), Elkingtons (about 1875-1888) and James Dixon & Sons (about 1879-1890s). Some of his designs were considered too ahead of their time to go into production, and six exist only as prototypes.
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Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Electroplated nickel silver, ebonised wooden handle |
| Brief description | Electroplate with ebony handle, made by James Dixon and Sons, ca.1879, designed by Christopher Dresser, 1879. Marks: facsimile signature "Ch. Dresser", J.D. & S. and 2277. |
| Physical description | Teapot of electroplated nickel silver with an ebonised, wooden handle. The body, a hemisphere with a flat circular base supported on six, squat peg feet equidistantly spaced. The spout, a tapered cone rising at an angle from the lower front of the body. The lid, slightly domed, following the curvature of the body is hinged at the rear and surmounted by a globular knop. The handle, an ebomised wooden rod is set at an angle to the body; at each end encircled by a metal collar, the upper is attached to a tubular hoop, set at a 45 degree angle to the body and is attached to either side of it by a spreading foot, the lower support for the handle is a straight, tubular rod. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | Stamped with a facsmile signature, "Ch. Dresser", marked EP and J.D. & S. for James Dixon and Sons and the number 2277 |
| Credit line | Given by Andrew McIntosh Patrick |
| Object history | Silver City Exhibition RF.2006/131 |
| Historical context | Andrew McIntosh Patrick was the Managing Director of the Fine Art Society, 148 New Bond Street, London W1Y 0JT for 30 years until 2005. Between 1972 and 2005, he acquired a collection of metalwork designed by Dr. Christopher Dresser of approximately 50 pieces which until the sale of his collection by the Edinburgh auctioneers, Lyon & Turnbull on April 19, 2005, was the most distinguished collection of such material in either a public or private collection. |
| Summary | Object Type Because tea is made by infusing dried tea leaves in boiling water, the handle of the teapot is often made of wood or some other organic material to prevent it from becoming too hot. Design & Designing Christopher Dresser designed utilitarian objects for the general public, making full use of the latest techniques of mass production, and he is therefore often regarded as the 'father of industrial design'. His most innovative designs were for objects to be made in metal. Unlike his designs for ceramics and glass, which often resemble plant forms in their shape, ornamentation or colouring, his designs for metalwork objects tend to be fully abstracted from their organic source. He frequently employed symmetrical, rectilinear shapes and undecorated surfaces. This design appears in the costing book of James Dixon & Sons for 1879 as design no. 2277 and is described as 'English Japanese', pointing to the Japanese influence in some of Dresser's most radical metalwork designs. Trading Dresser was a prolific worker and produced designs for numerous manufacturers, including Hukin & Heath (about 1878-1890s), Elkingtons (about 1875-1888) and James Dixon & Sons (about 1879-1890s). Some of his designs were considered too ahead of their time to go into production, and six exist only as prototypes. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.6-2006 |
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| Record created | May 12, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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