Teapot, Standard Willow Pattern

Item Number: T57
Shape Type: Teapot
Pattern Name: Standard Willow Pattern
Date: c. 1890
Dimensions:  H 9.5″
Maker:  Doulton & Co.
Maker’s Mark: PrintedDescription:
This large earthenware teapot printed in flow blue was manufactured by Doulton for the J. J. Royle Co., Manchester, England. The handle, spout and neck were painted with a cobalt blue ground. The neck of the vessel was printed in a yellow gold color with a elegant scroll design. The lid is metal. John James Royle was a successful businessman and inventor. It is the self-pouring teapot, patented in 1886, for which he became well known. It worked in the following manner: The lid was raised and then depressed with the finger covering the small hole in the top of the finial, generating pressure within the teapot, hence expelling the tea out through the spout. The curved spout meant that the teapot did not have to be lifted. It was said that the flavor would be enhanced by forcing the water through the tea leaves in the bottom of the pot The teapots were supplied to Queen Victoria in 1887 as a well as the Princess of Wales (Alexandria of Denmark) and to the Grand Duke Serge of Russia.
Condition: Very good. Professional restoration to the spout. Minor wear of the gilt trim.