Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Unusual Artifacts: The Moore Brothers Camel Pot, 1876

The Victoria & Albert Museum



On the fanciful side of the teapot spectrum is this teapot which depicts a man tying a pack on the hump of a camel. The camel's exaggerated neck forms the spout.

Camels were a favorite subject for teapot makers in the Eighteenth Century. The fashion was revived in the 1870s during the frenzy for Asian-inspired subjects.

The Thomas Goode co. retailed this teapot. Thomas Goode was founded in 1827 in Mayfair, London proudly specializing in luxury goods. The firm often commissioned pieces to be made by high-end manufacturers such as Moore Brothers. Moore Brothers produced this whimsical vessel which bears the marks of both the maker and retailer.

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