And such is the enthusiasm for teapots that last year Special Potteries Auctions (12.5% buyer’s premium) held a single-collection sale devoted to them and repeated that successful experiment, with the pots coming from a variety of private sources, at their Cobridge rooms on October 27. Demand for the 250 lots came from home and abroad, particularly America.
Most sold much as estimated but the big surprise of the day was the modern Fox Field novelty teapot shown above centre. Made in 1984, the original idea for the 15in (38cm) long teapot had been as a Playboy Bunny Girl but Hugh Hefner’s empire objected and the girl in the cat suit, the Tendernesse pattern, was born. Estimated to fetch £30-50 she went to America at £750 to lead the day.
More expected was the response to the Shelley Tent teapot shown above right. By Hilda Cownam, c.1926 it brought a mid-estimate £700.
Teapot enthusiasts are catered for at two sales
Like tea caddies in furniture sales, teapots have their own following in ceramics sales like the one at Phillips Leeds, where the 51/2in (14cm) Minton majolica Japanese Actor model, above right, date-coded 1874, made a within-estimate £1100 which took into account some damage to finial and spout.
