teapot

Summary

Public: Globular teapot on three mask and paw feet, with crabstock handle and spout, white salt-glazed stoneware, decorated with a deep cobalt blue slip. Private: Globular teapot with short cylindrical neck, crabstock handle and spout, and three feet in the form of a paw surmounted by a mask. Shallow domed circular cover with flattened rim and bell-shaped finial, small hole pierced to one side. Body coated with a deep dark cobalt blue slip beneath salt-glaze, revealing white body on extremities of handle, spout and feet. Interior and underside of cover left white.

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.