Teapot
Original OwnerProbably originally owned by
Frances Caroline Adams
(American, 1825 - 1905)
Original OwnerProbably originally owned by
Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
(American, 1828 - 1914)
MakerMade by
Unknown
Date1855-1875
MediumCast porcelain with overglaze gilding and enamels in pink, green, purple, and blue
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (height including lid x width x depth): 8 1/2 x 8 x 4in. (21.6 x 20.3 x 10.2cm)
ClassificationsCeramics
Credit LineGift of Eleanor Wyllys Allen
Object number1979.40.1a-b
DescriptionPear-shaped porcelain teapot and lid with gilding and hand-painted enamels in pink, green, purple, and blue. The teapot is part of a partial set of teawares, consisting of a teapot (.1a,b), a lidded sugar bowl (.2a,b), a cream pitcher (.3), a slop bowl (.4), two cake plates (.5 and .6), nine plates (.7-.15), eight teacups (.16a-.23a) and eight saucers (.16b-.23b). The entire set is decorated with a naturalistic printed and hand-painted enamel border. The border consists of a green vine with large and small pink flowers and buds. The vine is highlighted with purple enamel and green leaves. The center of each of the large flowers is delineated with blue dots arranged in a semi-circle. The handles and spouts in this set, not found on every object, are in the shape of branches or acorns. The intersection of spouts, handles, and the body of the ceramic is decorated with raised and gilded leaves, probably oak leaves. The entire set is also decorated with bands of gilding at the rim and feet.
Teapot (.1a): The teapot has a circular bottom, swelled sides, a gradually tapered neck, and a slightly flared rim. The teapot has a spout and a handle that are located over two mold lines on opposite sides of the body of the teapot. The shape of the handle suggests a branch, and leaves, highlighted in gilding, decorate the junction between the handle and the teapot. The spout is also decorated with leaves, and it has gilding applied on the rim and down the front. The border of pink flowers on a green vine circles the widest point of the teapot, and there are additional bands of gilding at the neck and rim.
Lid (.1b): The lid is circular and domed, with a gilded finial applied to the top in the shape of acorns on a branch. Gilding in the shape of leaves circles the finial. There is a small hole in the lid below the finial. The border of pink flowers on a green vine circles the rim of the lid. At one time, the lid had a small projecting piece, intended to hold the lid on the teapot during pouring. This has since broken off.
NotesProvenance Note: According to a letter written by the donor, this was given as a wedding gift to one of her grandmothers. Her maternal grandmother, Frances Caroline Adams (1825-1905), married Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (1828-1914) in December 1855. Her paternal grandmother, Ann Maria Gridley, married the Honorable Stephen Merrill Allen (1819-1894) on 15 April 1841. According to Arlene Palmer, the ceramics and glass consultant for the NEH Home Life cataloging project, the set dates from 1855 to 1875. Therefore, based on the grandmothers' wedding dates and the date of the set, the original owner was most likely Frances Caroline Adams Chamberlain. It is also possible that the set was given to the couple after their wedding. (Hunt 2/9/2005)Teapot (.1a): The teapot has a circular bottom, swelled sides, a gradually tapered neck, and a slightly flared rim. The teapot has a spout and a handle that are located over two mold lines on opposite sides of the body of the teapot. The shape of the handle suggests a branch, and leaves, highlighted in gilding, decorate the junction between the handle and the teapot. The spout is also decorated with leaves, and it has gilding applied on the rim and down the front. The border of pink flowers on a green vine circles the widest point of the teapot, and there are additional bands of gilding at the neck and rim.
Lid (.1b): The lid is circular and domed, with a gilded finial applied to the top in the shape of acorns on a branch. Gilding in the shape of leaves circles the finial. There is a small hole in the lid below the finial. The border of pink flowers on a green vine circles the rim of the lid. At one time, the lid had a small projecting piece, intended to hold the lid on the teapot during pouring. This has since broken off.
Subject Note: According to family history, the gilded oak leaves found on various objects in this tea set symbolize the Charter Oak in Hartford, Connecticut. Palmer indicated that there was no "Charter Oak" pattern, as indicated by the donor, but that acorns and oak leaves were a standard ceramic design motif at the time. However, Frances Caroline Adams was a direct descendant of George Wyllys, of Charter Oak fame. It is possible that the family acquired the set in the nineteenth century because of the oak leaf motifs, or that later descendants associated the set with the Charter Oak because of the design. (Hunt 2/9/2005)
Status
Not on view
