Stuff We Like #71 - Teapots

Angel's here for this week's Stuff We Like, with a secret collection...

I never set out to collect teapots. I'm not a collector of any sort, so there's nothing in my house that I can point to and say "that's a 1950's Fancy McFancypants Gleebsnoggle, though not the purple edition." But for some reason or another, without consulting me, family members decided that I would collect teapots.

To be clear, I'm no expert on teapots, nor could I name the brand, maker, or artist involved in most teapots you set in front of me. But I do like them. They're cozy, comfortable, genteel things, a familiar shape recognizable in many forms from traditional to completely wild and imaginative. So I thought I would share some of the teapots from my unintentional collection. :) (Please excuse the terrible photography.)

These are probably my most traditional western teapots. The one on the right is from William Sonoma. I know this because it says so on the bottom. The one on the left is my only really fancy teapot, the Royal Doulton we received as part of the wedding china. (Yes, people used to do that.)

I can't have a teapot collection without Asian teapots, of course, and I have some more traditional ones from that part of the world, too. The one on the left is a cheap little teapot I bought in a department store in Chengdu. More practical than some of the fancy ones. The one on the right is a cute little modern one from Japan.

This is one from an old set of my mother's. I'm sure there's a name for is and any antique collector out there would say "Aha! That's a Danek Carbuncle!" Or something like that. Mid-century modern is probably the closest stylistic period. Sadly, most of the set is no long in existence, so I'm not sure what the cups looked like.

This little guy is also from Chengdu, one of those I've never actually used as a teapot since it's more of a sculptural piece instead of a practical vessel. I love the little pill bug like tigers on the mountainside here.

Last one, promise. Because how could I have a teapot collection without a dragon teapot? I love this little guy - but I'll never use him on a regular basis. He sits in the cabinet with a couple of tapestry inspired mugs and some other medieval inspired items. Because dragons. ;)

Thanks for indulging me and my un-collection!