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Reversals of Fortune in the Tea Industry

At the start of the eighteenth century, beer was the predominant beverage of England, Scotland and Wales. It was consumed from breakfast through suppertime by men, women and children. As industrialization and commerce swelled the populations of cities like London, Manchester, and Glasgow, beer and ale were increasingly considered a safer alternative to polluted city water.

By the end of the eighteenth century, tea, made with boiled water, was rapidly gaining popularity as an affordable alternative to beer and ale. Along the path to the tea table, however, the cities’ poor would take a brief stroll down Gin Lane.....

See more great articles in the Winter 2008 Newsletter on their website.

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The Teapot as a European Invention

It can then be said, that though tea was originally Chinese, the teapot design of today is basically European. The first teapots created in Europe were of a heavy cast with short, straight, replaceable spouts unlike the first teapot made by the Chinese which was similar to the wine pourer but very unsuitable for the purpose. (The latter was important as the pottery was fragile and spouts often broke.) Other variations that occurred during this early period were octagonal and melon shaped teapots as well as "fantasy" teapots designed as plants or animals. Such teapots favored domestic forms such as squirrels and rabbits or newer "exotic" forms such as camels, monkeys, and bunches of bamboo. These early teapots were, however, viewed as failures due to the poor quality of clay and workmanship. Europe, though she had "designed" the teapot, lacked the porcelain technology to produce a quality teapot.

At the beginning of the eighteenth century, the East India Company, recognized the growing demand for such items as teapots and began importation in larger numbers. The increased cargo served an additional function-that of ballast in the trade ships. The company commissioned china directly from Chinese artists and craftsmen, using patterns sent from England and geared to European tastes, stereotypes, and market values. Designs fell into four main areas: mock-ups of Oriental designs (such as "Blue Willow" and "The Tree of Life"), designs adapted from European prints (such as the famous Georgian "house" teapots), armorials (bearing the coat of arms for major European families), and the innovative teapots (such as those with the now standard spout drain on the interior of the teapot). Company directors were especially concerned that teapots not drip and stain the valuable linen that they also marketed.

For more on Teapots visit Stash.com

18cNEL. Copyright © 1997-2007 www.18cNewlEnglandLife.org. All rights reserved. Revised: .January 13, 2010

The Teapot as a European Invention

18cNEL.
Copyright © 1997-2007 www.18cNewlEnglandLife.org.
All rights reserved.
Revised: .January 13, 2010