Sunday 27 January 2013

True Confessions. . .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:De_Alice%27s_Abenteuer_im_Wunderland_Carroll_pic_27.jpg

It is somewhat dreary today.  Cold, but at least it's above zero degrees for a change.  And it is raining which means that the thaw has hopefully arrived.


So what better way to spend a rainy, grey, drab afternoon than to spice things up with a little bit of true confessions?

Mind you it wasn't my fault - originally.  It was that Portuguese temptress who got me hooked...

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Catherine_of_Braganza,_Queen_of_England.jpg

It was Catherine of Braganza who (it is said) introduced the drinking of tea into England and which led to my addiction because I confess that not only am I an avid tea drinker but am also a collector of teapots...

Would you like to see some of them?

(I thought you would never ask!)

I collect all sorts but today I thought I would share three of my silver teapots - well, when I say 'silver' I actually mean one sterling silver one, and two silver plated sisters:


These three are among my favourites.

This first one is a solid silver teapot from the year 1816:

AGA bought it for me when I had passed my first university exam.  It was made in London and has a fruit wood handle.  Originally it had a clumsy-looking silver finial but I replaced it with this wooden one of the period, which is more in keeping with the objet.  I love this teapot.  The gadroons are super and the curl on the handle is most satisfying.  It is such a pleasure pouring tea from this beautiful pot.

Next up is this beautiful 1850s, gourd-shaped one, only recently purchased:
Silver plated.  This is a luxurious, fat, pear-shaped beauty with a jaunty bohemian air.  The finial is solid silver but I am not certain that it is original.  It was made by Sturges in the late 1850s.
Its owner were not great ones for polishing and as a result it has retained most of its silver-plating.   I have a feeling that it spent a lot of its life packed away somewhere. 
The interior is unfortunately too dirty and stained to allow me to use it for tea-making.  Thus far it has resisted my efforts to clean it out but I shall persist.  Any suggestions on the best method?

Number three is another interesting one:
This teapot is also silver plated and dates back to at least 1878.  It is a handsome, sleek pot with an incised willow-pattern design.  There is something rather dignified about this teapot.  It would sit primly on any respectable tea table and interestingly, it has never been used.
And here is the reason:
Mr. Thomas Watson won this teapot at the 1878 Edinburgh Christmas Club Show.  He won second prize in the 'Shorthorn or Cross-bred Dairy Cow' category. 
Clearly Mr Watson was very proud of this teapot.  It was polished with vigour on a regular basis and has lost some of its silver plating in places.  I presume that it spent its days sitting quietly in a cabinet or on the dresser.  I haven't had the heart to use it either because although I am now the custodian of this lovely work, Mr. Watson might not approve.

So there they are, three of my teapot collection:
Three stately galleons, safely conveying their precious cargo for our consumption, and fit to hold sway over any tea table.

All that is needed now is to have a cup of tea!


Thank you Catherine of Braganza, Queen of England, I salute you for introducing tea drinking into my life.


40 comments:

  1. Hello Kirk:
    What magnificent pieces of which, we are certain, you are justly proud. And how very splendid to have a collection of teapots of which, we very much hope, we will be shown others in future posts.

    We have long wished to have a silver teapot, a much coveted family one having been purloined by a niece, and now we feel inspired to correct this omission. Perhaps next time we are in England.

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    1. Dear Jane and Lance,
      Thank you for your kind comments. I do enjoy hunting and collecting teapots!

      A niece purloined the family silver teapot that should have gone to you? I know the feeling. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time I missed out on a wonderful china tea set, which went to a cousin of mine, the thought of which, at certain times, fills me with low level angst.

      I counsel rectifying this silver gap in your lives as soon as possible!

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  2. Hello Kirk, What a great collection! They are beautiful and I guess that you have work a lot to get them so bright and clean. So Congratulations!

    Enjoy your cup of tea

    Marina

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    1. Thank you Marina. They are beautiful and they do take a lot of cleaning - but it is worth it to have them shining so nicely.
      You can stop by any time and have a cup of tea with us!
      Bye for now
      Kirk

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  3. I have my grandmother's silver teapot. I would have loved her Indian Tree tea set too but it was not to be. Any tips on cleaning silver?

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    1. Dear Susan,
      We use the commercial brands 'silvo' and Goddards silver cleaner. I can't stand the smell of silvo - it makes me feel sick but AGA is a dab hand at cleaning silver so I asked his advice for you.
      He says that you need two old soft toothbrushes. One to rub in the polish rather than using a cloth to apply it. Then when the polish has dried and you rub it off with a soft cloth, you use the second toothbrush to brush out any dried residue from the filigree work. It makes the silverware look like new!
      There is nothing like the look of 'just polished' silver.
      I also know that if you are going to store silverware it is best to wrap it in blue tissue paper. I don't know why but it keeps it from getting tarnished.

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  4. Hello Kirk, These silver teapots show the variety that can be discovered in a collection. In a sixty-year time span, we see a progression from neoclassical delicacy, to Victorian extravagance of form, to the commemorative teapot with its beautiful engraving.

    Perhaps my favorite is Mr. Watson's prize. I like the meandering fence, and also its connection to dairying.
    --Road to Parnassus

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    1. Dear Jim,
      I must admit that when I saw Mr. Watson's teapot I knew I had to have it. It was one of the first 'metal' teapots that I bought.
      The styles of teapots is indicative of the tastes and the times. They form an interesting social mirror.

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  5. Bellas imagenes.

    Saludos.

    Manoli

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    1. Thank you Manoli,
      I am glad you enjoyed this post.
      Kirk

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  6. Dear Kirk - it is good to see that you are keeping traditions alive. Nothing better than a cup of tea poured from a beautiful silver teapot.
    I very much dislike cleaning silver, and keep mine in a glass cabinet where it maintains its shine for at least a year.
    I use silver foam to clean it bought from John Lewis Ltd, and it is brilliant. You dip the enclosed sponge in water then into the cleaner and it lathers whilst cleaning.
    I went on a silver study day with Ian Pickford the Antique Roadshow silver expert, and he approved of it too. Your hands remain clean, it is quick to do, and the silver sparkles.

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    1. Dear Rosemary,
      Your silver cleaner has got AGA's attention. Is it called 'silver foam' or does it have another name? We have a super copper cleaner that we get from France (which cleans brass too) and so are always on the look out for equally easier ways to clean the silver.

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    2. I have just got the container out - as previously mentioned, it comes from John Lewis or Waitrose, and is called Jonelle anti-tarnish Silver Foam. Jonelle being John Lewis's own products.

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    3. We will be out on the prowl for it. Thanks Rosemary.

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  7. Dear Kirk,

    You have an impressive collection of silver teapots! Like you I am an avid tea drinker. I could easily miss wine, champagne and coffee, but not my cup of tea :-) It must taste extra special from such an elegant teapot.

    In Holland thaw set in today. I don't really mind. After two weeks of ice and snow I long for some spring weather!

    Happy new week,

    Madelief

    x

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    1. Dear Madelief,
      Tea does taste better when pour from a nice teapot. I never drink coffee myself as I don't like the taste so I am a 100% tea drinker.
      The snow is disappearing rather quickly isn't it. One day it looks as though it is never going away and the next it is practically gone!
      And it is 'warmer' too!

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  8. It's great to own such treasures, each with their own history - and your own added on. I spy some beautiful textiles in the background of the photos - they are my own weakness.

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    1. Textiles - I don't think that you can ever have enough nice textiles, do you?
      They add depth and quality to any room they are introduced to.
      They are a bit of a weakness for us also.

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  9. Hello Kirk,
    Coffee gets you up and jumping, but it's tea that consoles - probably just what you need in that blanket of grey!

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  10. Dear Kirk,

    You have a very handsome collection, and it would be hard for me to choose a favorite, but I think it would have to be the 1816 gift from AGA. I drink tea only in the summer, and then it is always sweetened and iced, but I do have my grandmother's old teapot. It's a homely brown ceramic one that was probably very inexpensive 80 years or so ago, but I always smile and think of her when I see it.

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    1. Dear Mark,

      That's the thing about teapots - they usually provide such pleasant memories. I am wondering if your teapot is a brown betty?

      I drink tea all the time as I do not like the taste of coffee.

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    2. I will send you a photo, and see what you think . . .

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  11. Hello Kirk,
    Beautiful, I do enjoy my tea from a pot, a rare thing in these parts! I alas have no silver tea service... yet! I have my name to some beautiful china ones that will be past down to me one day. We had the most 'delightful' tea ceremony at Christmas from a Taiwanese friend and the tea was really fabulous (so much was our praise he left his tea caddy and little tea bowls!). I use 'pierre d'argent' for our silver it is works wonders, if you can get hold of some in France. What tea(s) do you drink?
    Ivan

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    1. Dear Ivan,
      Pierre d'argent. I have made a note of that for next time we cross over the border. We use 'bistro' copper cleaner for our copper pots and pans - what a fabulous cleaner it is.
      I also enjoy my tea from the pot. Teabag tea is fine and often very convenient but when it comes from the pot it is so much the better.
      Our tea of choice is Twinings' Irish Breakfast, followed by their English Breakfast but this is not as strong. I have teabag tea at work (PG TIps) but then I never had that much time to sit and enjoy it, let alone make it!
      I used to quite like Queen Mary tea but I don't think that they produce it any more.
      My work assistant is addicted to some of the teas produced by Mariage Frères and has it sent to her from their shop!
      What about you?

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    2. Hello Kirk,

      TEA...

      Builder tea of choice - PG tips
      Favourite tea - Hammam tea (le Palais des thés - green tea with dates , roses, red fruits)just bliss!
      Other daily tea - Kusmi teas (they had me at the tins!!) they do many and all good, their English breakfast is wonderful - very light though.
      Occasionally - Earl Grey and Lapsang souchong (good one or can taste like a cup of cigarette butts!)

      Tea, tea, tea..... love tea!
      Best wishes Ivan

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    3. I am with you 100% - Tea tea and more tea.

      I nodded when I read your comment about Kusmi teas - that is what first attracted me to them as well - we can't get it here unfortunately.

      I have not had Hammam tea however I will be in Paris in late March so will look them up. the combination sounds very nice I must say.

      Earl Grey - can't take it although AGA likes it now and then. I do however like to use it as my tea base for Irish Tea Bread - it gives a wonderful perfume to the finished product..

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    4. Hello Kirk,

      Gourmet Lafayette for the Hammam tea - it's very special and the aromas are mystical!!

      Earl grey for me is about pure water just boiled and just 'show' the tea (a tea bag for that reason alone - or a tea compartment that can be taken out straight away) for a second, really weak. You want mostly the oils of the bergamot... A tea nut friend taught me along time ago because I wanted to like it and didn't!

      We are off to Paris Thursday for a week for my other half's birthday, his siblings are coming over from Canada... very excited! Tea shopping!!
      Have a good weekend,
      Ivan

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    5. Gourmet Lafayette - got it. I shall add it to the list.
      Now that is rather interesting about Earl Grey - I am going to try it out and see what I think.
      Thanks Ivan,
      Kirk

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  12. Kirk, wonderful post. I fell in love with tea when I traveled in Great Britain years ago. Learned to add milk there, too. Now I'm a big tea drinker though I still have coffee in the morning. But afternoon tea is for me, the pause that refreshes. :)

    LOVE your teapots. So beautiful. Silver is so elegant.

    I have a small collection of ceramic tea pots. But the one I use most is just a plain red ceramic one which always makes me feel comfy.

    Earl Grey and Darjeeling.

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    1. Dear Yvette.
      Thank you for your kind comments.
      Tea is wonderful - for me it is a restorative after a hard day's work or even after a not so hard day at work!
      AGA likes Earl Grey but I just can't get used to it. Darjeeling on the other hand is such a gentle tea - I like it too.
      Its nice to have a comfy old favourite teapot. Mine is like Mark's, an old brown one.

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  13. How wonderful to have not just one but three silver teapots! Your gift from AGA is beautiful. I think, though, that the trophy teapot appeals to me most!

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    1. Dear Merry Wife,
      Thank you for your kind comments. Actually I must confess that there are a few more lurking about this apartment but they didn't get a showing this time...
      Yes I do like that trophy teapot too. I am trying to find out a little more about Mr. Watson as it all adds to the teapot's history.

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  14. Kirk, I'm Nadezda and at the first time on your blog. Thank you for following it!
    I love the drawing from the book 'Alice in Wonderland'. I have post about this book, is my favorite.
    Also I liked your teapots, most the pumpkin-shape one!
    http://nadezda-garden.blogspot.com/

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  15. Dear Kirk,
    Once again, an absolutely delightful post! I so enjoyed seeing your beautiful teapots--and what wonderful photos... I share your addiction to tea and all of its glorious paraphernalia, and from now on, will blame Catherine of Braganza! I think AGA has exquisite taste in gifts and in partners--hat a stunning piece-- and how wonderful that it has landed in such an appreciative home. The other two are lovely as well, and together, they make such a pretty family.

    When my sons were very small, we adopted the tradition of sharing afternoon tea and biscuits after school, and, after 15 years (!), it's become a treasured family ritual, a perfect time to share news of the day and recharge before getting to homework. It's become a time for sharing gossip and secrets as well, thus our saying, 'What's said at the tea table stays at the tea table'! One one trip to London many years ago, I purchased a lovely tea pot on Portobello Road-- not sterling, only EPNS, but still, my favorite, very well-used pot. It pours beautifully with no drips at all, even when my then little boys were pouring!. All teas seem to taste better in this pot, but we do have some favorites: for many years, I had regular shipments of tea from Fortnum & Mason, but now, our allegiances are divided. On our last trip to Paris, we visited Mariage Freres, and, as you can imagine, shipped home an inappropriate amount of tea in charming black tins... Both are so wonderful-- a small luxury deeply enjoyed by our family. I hope we never find a cure for this addiction!
    Warm regards from wet and foggy Michigan (Kirk, we share the exact same view from our windows!!),
    Erika

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    1. Dear Erika,
      Thank you for your kind comments.
      Those three teapots do make a lovely family but they aren't the only ones - you should see their siblings!
      Mariage Fréres is a lovely shop. I bought some of their 'St James' tea once and my assistant at work has various of their tea sent to her in very nice looking boxes.
      We always have tea at 11 and at 4. This was the tradition on both sides of my family and continues today. Tea and gossip is often a very good combination!
      I hope we never find a cure for addiction either!
      Bye for now
      Kirk
      It is wet and soggy here too now that the snow is gone.

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  16. Kirk, we are having a day today (Wednesday) exactly like yours Sunday. I had an English grandmother and Fritz's family was also from a tradition of afternoon tea. We're a little more casual about the schedule based on what projects each of is involved with but it makes such a lovely daily ritual!

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    1. Its a funny thing Will but my father was a stickler for a cup of tea at 11 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon. It was guaranteed that on the stroke of either 11 or 4 you would hear the tea cups tinkling and you knew that tea was on the way.
      AGA is like you - a little more casual about it - but for me it is so ingrained that as those times times approach I feel an internal alarm go off: time for tea!

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  17. Hi Kirk, I love, love, love your silver teapot collection! Of course I have a favorite: It is the solid silver one, because of the opulence and elegance the design radiates. I think, that drinking tea from such a beautiful teapot just makes an ordinary day very special and I feel it is very nice to have a special moment in an ordinary day :-)! I really would enjoy seeing the collection of your other tea pots. Is there a chance you will do a post about them? Just asking...
    Christina

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    1. Hi Christina,
      That is indeed a wonderful teapot. When I was thinking about which ones to show I knew that was going to be one of them. It is true, serving tea from such a teapot gives a certain air to the proceedings.
      Yes I will be posting the others - they are jostling for position but I have told them to be patient.
      Kirk

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