Teapots

Giant teapots, some three feet high and with a miniature teapot forming the lid, were popular among canal boatmen in the late 19th century. They were often glazed dark brown, like traditional Rockingham teapots, richly decorated and often featuring a scroll with the names of a donor inscribed, as here. William Mason was a Derbyshire potter and his pieces are often referred to as Measham-ware, barge-ware or motto-ware. He was working during a period of industrialism, yet these teapots show the best qualities of Folk Art.