174. Benjamin Eberle, teapot, thrown, with altered shape, wood-fired

174. Benjamin Eberle, teapot, thrown, with altered shape, wood-fired

For Eberle, see item 173. 

Light gray clay. Lining glaze on the interior; flashing slip on the exterior, exterior colors from wood-firing. Weight: 886 g (2 lb). Width: 9 x 17.7 cm (3-1/2 x 7 in). Height: 19.7 cm (7-3/4 in).

The body of this was thrown on a wheel, and the shape was then altered. To this were added a base, four stubby feet, a lid, and a spout. The lid is a cap type secured by an interior flange. The design features this potter’s favorite vertical grooves and seam lines made with a shaping tool.

The interior has a transparent lining glaze. The flashing slip combined with the wood-firing colored the exterior gray and a reddish brown. The gray covers about three-quarters of the exterior; the brown about one quarter.

This and the preceding are pots for the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. They can be used to make tea, but do have drawbacks. This one wobbles a bit because the feet aren’t the same height. The top opening on both pots works against using loose tea leaves. The opening is too narrow to reach into. Also the interior mouth of the spout on each pot is open, and loose tea leaves could clog the spouts, making the use of drawstring bags necessary. It’s not ideal, but these are fun pots to use and a joy to look at and handle.

Purchased from Eberle in January 2022.