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Ocean teapot - 1882
This humble domestic teapot embodies many of the tastes and trends in vogue during the latter decades of the nineteenth century. The Victorians in an era of discovery wanted ‘natural’ design elements to feature in the domestic products they purchased, but they also wanted to be fashionable, given the craze for Japonaiserie that was sweeping Europe at the time.
Captivated by all aspects of exploration and discovery the Victorians clamoured for ceramics that featured naturalistic forms and decoration. Japanese art remained the dominant influence on European fashion during the nineteenth century, and following the country’s participation in the International Exhibitions a craze for shapes and decoration in the Japanese ‘style’ ensued. This humble Majolica teapot, with its moulded shell motifs and distinct Japanese influences, satisfied the market’s demand for ‘Japonaiserie’. The Etruria factory, as a direct response to a request from Charles Bachhoffner - Wedgwood’s London showroom manager, developed the eye-catching light coloured background that is a feature of this item.
- Type of object: Teaware/teapot
- Mark: WEDGWOOD IDK [Impressed]
- Year first produced: 1882
- Body: Queen's ware and cream-coloured earthenware
- Material: Ceramic
- Decoration: Majolica
- Accession number: 9076
- Dimensions: 170mm (height), 170mm (width), 118mm (diameter)
