Teapot in the form of a cabbage
Unknown Artist
ca. 1760
Medium
Salt-glazed stoneware with enamel decoration
Dimensions
Overall: 4 × 6 3/4 in. (10.2 × 17.1 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Pottery
Culture
British, Staffordshire
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Carleton Macy, 1934
Accession Number
34.165.119a, b
Art Historical Context
This delightful "Teapot in the form a cabbage," crafted around 1760 in Staffordshire, Britain, exemplifies the playful whimsy of 18th-century British ceramics. Staffordshire was a thriving hub for pottery production during the Industrial Revolution's early days, where potters innovated affordable alternatives to expensive Chinese porcelain. Shaped like a plump cabbage with leaves forming the handle and spout, this compact piece (just 4 × 6 3/4 inches) captures the Rococo era's love for nature-inspired novelty objects, blending functionality with humor for the tea-loving middle class. Made of ...