Teapot Stand
c. 1815
Medium
Porcelain with polychrome enamels and gilding
Dimensions
1.9 × 20 × 14.9 cm (3/4 × 7 7/8 × 5 7/8 in.)
Classification
teapot
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
15014
Art Historical Context
This elegant teapot stand, crafted around 1815 by the renowned Wedgwood Manuf, exemplifies the refined decorative arts of early nineteenth-century Europe. Measuring just under an inch in height, the porcelain piece was designed to protect fine tabletops while adding beauty to the tea service. Its surface features delicate polychrome enamels and shimmering gilding, techniques that highlight the manufactory’s mastery in transforming everyday objects into works of art. Created during a period when tea drinking had become a central social ritual in Britain, this stand reflects the growing emphasi...
About the Artist
Wedgwood Manufactory
Wedgwood Manufactory, founded on 1 May 1759 by Josiah Wedgwood in Burslem, Staffordshire, England, revolutionized ceramics during the Industrial Revolution. Born into a family of potters, Josiah apprenticed under his elder brother Thomas at the Churchyard Works from age 14, mastering traditional techniques before partnering with Thomas Whieldon from 1754 to 1759, where he honed innovative glazes. ...