Tea pot

Nils Enberg, Turku, 1779. Height 17 cm.

Both sides of the plump pot are embossed with rose branches. The shape of the tall lid, curved backwards, and the curves of the handles complement each other, and there is a plastic, cast flower bouquet on top of the lid. The small leaf-like feet have been cast. The tip of the short, curved spout has a small hook for the tea strainer. The middle part of the handle is wood that has been coloured black, as was common for pots in the 18th century.

The earliest information on the teapot in Finland is from Oulu in 1737, when goldsmith Carl Jacob Mellin made it as his masterwork. As taxes had to be paid for tea and coffee, the teapot has been more of a demonstration of fashionability than of the popularity of drinking tea.

Nils Enberg had an extensive production, and especially his rococo works represent the peak of his times both for design and handicraft.

Source:

Fagerström 2000, s. 66–67. Borg 1972 (1935), s. 70–71.