Teapot thumbnail 1
Teapot thumbnail 2
On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Teapot

ca. 1710-1715 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Johann Friedrich Bottger (1682-1719) discovered an iron-rich clay in Saxony that enabled him to produce a red stoneware. This was of the type made by the Chinese potters at Yixing. Although he was mistaken in his belief that his product was a kind of porcelain, he was able to make great use of his discovery. He cut, polished, wheel-engraved and enamelled the new material. Bottger was the founder of the Meissen porcelain factory.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Teapot
  • Cover
Materials and techniques
Böttger red stoneware, with relief moulding, largly wheel-polished
Brief description
Red stoneware hexagonal teapot moulded and largely polished on the wheel, probably modelled by Johann Jacob Irminger, Meissen porcelain factory, Germany, about 1710-15.
Physical description
Teapot with cover of red stoneware. In the form of an eight-side pyramid, with strongly profiled mouldings. Moulded scrolled handle. Curved spout with grotesque bird tip bracketed to an unpolished grimacing mask in relief on the body. Under the handle, an unpolished crowned blank escutcheon. Low domed cover with pointed profiled knob.
Dimensions
  • Height: 9.5cm
Style
Marks and inscriptions
A spider (?) (Incised)
Credit line
Bequeathed by Mr Arthur Hurst
Production
Attribution from the manuscript catalogue dates from about 1970 and was compiled by William Hutton of the Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio.
Subject depicted
Summary
Johann Friedrich Bottger (1682-1719) discovered an iron-rich clay in Saxony that enabled him to produce a red stoneware. This was of the type made by the Chinese potters at Yixing. Although he was mistaken in his belief that his product was a kind of porcelain, he was able to make great use of his discovery. He cut, polished, wheel-engraved and enamelled the new material. Bottger was the founder of the Meissen porcelain factory.
Bibliographic reference
Hildyard, Robin. European Ceramics. London : V&A Publications, 1999. 144 p., ill. ISBN 185177260X
Collection
Accession number
C.108&A-1940

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdNovember 28, 2002
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest