Teapot
18th century
Medium
Soft-paste porcelain
Dimensions
confirmed: 5 3/16 × 8 3/16 × 4 1/2 in. (13.2 × 20.8 × 11.4 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain
Culture
British, Worcester
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Constance D. Stieglitz, in memory of her husband, Marcel H. Stieglitz, 1964
Accession Number
64.142.26a, b
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant teapot, crafted by the renowned Worcester factory in 18th-century Britain, exemplifies the golden age of English porcelain production. Made from soft-paste porcelain—a mixture of clay and ground glass fired at lower temperatures than true hard-paste—this medium allowed factories like Worcester to create delicate, translucent wares that rivaled expensive Chinese imports. Measuring 5 3/16 × 8 3/16 × 4 1/2 inches, its graceful form was designed for the burgeoning tea-drinking ritual that swept through British society, symbolizing refinement and hospitality. Worcester, established in...
About the Artist
Worcester factory · 1751–2008
The Worcester porcelain factory, established in 1751 in Worcester, England, by physician Dr. John Wall and apothecary William Davis along with 14 partners, marked the birth of one of Britain's most enduring ceramic enterprises. Investing £4,500 at Warmstry House on the River Severn, the founders drew on contacts with the Bristol porcelain manufactory to develop a novel soft-paste porcelain using s...