Ceramics and Pottery Arts and Resources

 

 

Suze Lindsay

 

‘Blue and Yellow Running Man’  teapot — Tony Bennett

T’s made exhibition – Rye Art Gallery, UK

 

Tempest in a teapot

 

Storm in a teacup, tempest in a teapot, exaggerated sculptural teapot forms brewing up intriguing shapes that seem to transcend any wholistic coherence. Most of us were exposed to the quirkiness of teapots at a young age when we were treated to renditions of “I’m A Little Teapot” at kindergarten. Maybe this  partially explains how a certain childlike freedom of expression seems to manifest when potters cross paths with teapots. As most are hand built and asymmetrical, there is possibly of a release being experienced from the symmetrical constraints of wheel thrown forms. There certainly seems to be an enthusiastic amount of form manipulation, shape shifting and stretching of teapot boundaries occurring.
In Design Theory, form follows function, but the new paradigm of teapot construction is function might possibly follow exaggerated form and if it doesn’t, then you always have a teabag to fall back on. There are plenty of these tea brewing masterpieces that manage to be utilitarian but others are purely decorative. Teapots apparently bring luck, as tradition has it in Russia for giving a bridesmaid a teapot – as a gesture of better luck next time.

 

Michael Lucero

Some of the following teapots look like they are eagerly waiting to be part of a tea break conversation and quite capable of participating in an animated discussion. Being a 4-5 cup a day tea connoisseur myself, my teapot gets more than enough attention, but they do appear to suffer from a ‘look at me’ complex, relative to the other table wares. Being a favorite British preoccupation, I always associated their ritualistic tea habit with being a slightly eccentric pastime, this being reinforced by outlandish spectacles like Lewis Caroll’s Mad Hatter tea party. Not to mention the teapot’s Seer like attributes for being a source of tea leaves for predicting the future. The appearance of most of this collection of teapots here tends to support this notion. In times of chaos there is nothing more reassuring then an orderly cup of tea from a teapot of whimsy.  As they say, “this morning’s tea makes yesterday distant”

 

Tea here now – one pot, infinite flavors

Some ancient sayings reinforcing teas reputation for quirkiness and wisdom:

 

The sounds of the tea being made invites the peach blossoms to peep in through the window. ~Uson, quoted in Sasaki Sanmi, Sadô Saijiki

 

Having picked some tea, he drank it,
Then he sprouted wings,
And flew to a fairy mansion,
To escape the emptiness of the world….
~Chiao Jen

 

If you have one teapot
And can brew your tea in it
That will do quite well.
How much does he lack himself
Who needs to have more things?
~Sen no Rikyū

 

 

‘The King’s Speech’ afternoon tea

 

 

Glass French teapot – 1840

 

 

This cheeky song was penned in 1939 by George Harry Sanders and Clarence Kelley with the intention of creating a tune that would support tap dancing at Kelley’s dance school. The staccato rhythm of “I’m a little teapot, short and stout” was ideal for the young toe tappers.

Coralie Beatrix dress

 

 

Gail Mackiewic

‘

 

‘Dragonfly Teapot’ – Barbara Chadwick

 

 

Ray Bub – ‘King Penguins Upright Ring Teapot’

 

 

 

Egyptian Revival teapot—1785.-Royal Manufacture of Naples

Florence Porcelain Museum

 

 

Ceramic sea liner teapot

 

 

Marlene Bowman

 

 

Adrian Sandstrom

 

 

Golden glaze teapot with rock base – Adrian Saxe

 

 

 

Michael Lucero,   ‘Conquistador’

 

 

 

Amy Sanders

Mud Fire Gallery

 

 

Chameleon pourer – Ardmore Ceramics

 

 

 

Long Neck Teapot – Carol Wedemeyer

 

Carol Wedemeyer

 

 

Alexander Miroshnychenko

 

 

‘Fit to a Tea’ is a teapot in the form of a leopard in a patterned boot – Meryl Ruth

2013

 

 

Geoffrey Swindell

 

 

Joanne Russo

 

 

Gourd teapot with glass handle –   Judy and Larry Cunningham

California

 

 

 

rebeccalowery on Etsy

 

 

John Kellum

 

Josie Jurczenia red teapot with white underglaze and scratching

 

 

Jake Johnson – 2010

 

 

 

Kurt Weiser  –  ‘Adam and Eve’ 

 

 

 

Giant Panda munching bamboo teapot

 

 

Jane Shellenbarger orental style tea/coffee pot

 

 

 

Judy Weeden, Canada – ‘Memimage’ teapot

 

 

Karen Portaleo – lady holding child and pig teapot

 

 

 

Cheery octo teapot with octopus nose lid

Hand carved bass wood and acrylic paint. Kamm Foundation

 

 

‘Roofscape Teapot’ – Lydia Buzio

1991

 

 

Lana Wilson

 

 

Liz Quackenbush

 

 

 

Red Weldon Sandlin

 

 

 

Tokumaru Kyoko

 

 

 

Meryl Ruth –  ‘The Queens Tea Yara’

photo Robert Diamonte

 

Creamware taeapot – 1785

Britain

 

Gourd teapot with glass handle –   Judy and Larry Cunningham

 

 

Michael Lucero – ‘Head with Two Curls Teapot’

 

 

Nicholas Joerling

 

 

Noel  Bailey

 

 

Noi Volkov – Dali Don Quixote teapot

 

 

‘Not A Rusty Bucket’ – Pamela MacGregor

 

 

Julia Galloway

Schaller Gallery

 

 

Ray Bub

 

 

Russian Lomonosov teapot

 

 

Richard Notkin

 

 

 

Vadim Malkin

In my work I attempt to investigate a transcendental facet of life, to find a soulful meaning to everyday living and combine it with style and whimsy. My work reflects growth, change, and adaptation. Stemming from an idealistic perspective of childhood memories, I have found a fondness for the ceremonial aspects of the tradition of tea. This nightly ritual brings families and friends together as they lounge, sip, and discuss the day’s events and adversities.

 

 

Sencha ewer or export teapot in the form of bamboo with painting of the three creeds Fengan with tiger, Confucius, and Laozi – 19th Century

© Los Angeles County Museum of Art

 

 

 

Steel Plated Teapot – porcelain sculpture by Scott Dooley

 

 

 

Helene Fielder Tea Pot Sculpture

 

 

 

Alice DeLisle

 

 

Meissan teapot in the shape of a peach, Germany 1725

 

 

Chandra DeBuse

 

 

Tom Coleman

Tom and Elaine Coleman Gallery

 

 

Tom Hubert

Hubert Ceramics

 

Vorobiev teapot

 

 

Sgraffito female face motif teapot

 Fuller Craft Museum Image by Mryipyop, via flickr

 

 

 

Xenia Mitrokhin

 

 

 

Raygun atomic futuristic teapot – Richard Godfrey

 

 

Meissen porcelain ocean theme teapot

circa 1729-31

 

 

‘Tea Horse’ – David Bennett

 

 

 

Whimsical teapot with wizard hat lid – Dwo Wen Chen

 

 

Sausage dog teapot – Meryl Ruth

 

 

‘Teapot and stand’  by Ralph Bacerra

2001

 

 

 

Joellyn Rock ceramic — ‘Nicaraguan Coffee Break’

Narrative teapot

 

 

 

Rebecca Mazur – -yellow ‘Sandbag Teapot’

1998

 

 

Ceramic teapot Yoshiro Ikeda

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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