Teapot
Medium
Soft-paste porcelain with polychrome enamel decoration on black ground
Dimensions
8.1 × 18.9 × 12.4 cm (3 3/16 × 7 7/16 × 4 7/8 in.)
Classification
teapot
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
66341
Art Historical Context
This elegant teapot, crafted around 1800 by Davenport Potteries and Porcelain Factories, exemplifies the refined artistry of European applied arts during the early Industrial era. Standing just over three inches tall, its compact form features soft-paste porcelain—a material European makers developed to approximate the translucency of prized Chinese hard-paste wares. The striking black ground serves as a dramatic canvas for polychrome enamel decoration, highlighting the factory’s skill in creating luxurious, visually bold household objects. Such teapots played a central role in the rituals of...