teapot

Summary

Public: Pear-shaped four-lobed teapot, white salt-glazed stoneware, with relief decoration of shells and leafy sprays painted in overglaze enamels with figure of a man in a tree. Private: Pear-shaped four-lobed teapot, tapering from rounded belly to neck. S-shaped spout moulded with sprays of oak and acorns, plain loop handle with broad and narrow notches to thumb rest and flattened spur to lower terminal. Side lobes of body decorated in relief with three overlapping pecten shells, spout and handle lobes with sprays of acorns and oak leaves. Small pecten shells at foot and neck marking lobe joins, and either side of lower handle terminal. Narrow Greek key and beaded borders around foot and neckrim, with added anthemion border at neck. Body painted in red, pink, purple, green, blue and black overglaze enamels on each side with Chinoiserie flowering tree rising from base of central lobe with large pink, red and blue flowers flanking moulded shells in centre. Figure of a man above shell relief, in red coat with arms outstretched, legs kicking outward below, to either side on one side, both to one side on the other. Moulded oak leaves on handle and spout lobes picked out in purple, green and blue enamels, Greek key border to neck picked out in red. Two long notches in handle spotted with blue enamel. Four-lobed shallow domed cover with flattened rim and button finial, moulded with pecten shells. Painted in red, green, pink and blue enamels with floral sprays and border to rim of diaper ground and flowers. Two part slip-cast body, with faintly crazed glaze.

Display Label

The Thomas Greg Collection The Greg Collection of English Pottery was given to the Gallery in 1904 by collector and amateur historian Thomas Greg. One of the great collections of English pottery, it was formed at a time when little was known about the history of ceramics in this country. Over forty years Greg systematically acquired some of the best examples of the potter's art, tracing its development over a thousand years. His collection tells the story of English pottery: of experiment and invention, triumph and downfall, from the unknown medieval craftsman to the world domination of Josiah Wedgwood. In many ways, it is a history of England itself. Greg was driven by a fascination with the past and a desire to contribute to scholarly knowledge. He gave his collection to the Gallery in the hope of inspiring a similar sense of wonder in others.