CIRCA 1760-70

The source for the moulded panels of Chinese figures is George Edwards and Matthias Darly's, New Book of Chinese Designs, first published in London in 1754. Wasters with similar moulding have been excavated at Thomas Whieldon's Fenton Vivian factory site and William Greatbatch's site, as well as several other factory-related sites, making attribution difficult. The master mould for a hexagonal teapot with these panels is in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, museum no. 326-1889. For a discussion of the type see Diana Edwards, 'The influence of Salt-glazed Stoneware on Creamware', Creamware and Pearlware Re-Examined, English Ceramic Circle, 2007, pp. 152-154. Two similar teapots from the Weldon collection, moulded with the same panels as the present example, are illustrated by Leslie B. Grigsby, English Pottery 1650-1800, The Henry Weldon Collection, London, 1990, p.198, no. 95a and 95b. A teapot and cover of the same form in the Leo Kaplan collection was sold at Bonhams, London, 11 July 2018, lot 8 and a pearlware teapot and cover of closely related form and decoration was sold from the collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller at Christie's, New York (on-line sale), 1-11 May 2018, lot 1253.