Thursday, July 11, 2013

Thursday Tea: Charming Teapots

I go nearly two weeks without posting a blog, and in one day I decide to do two! Go figure.

As I was about to brew my mid-morning cup of tea, I reached on the shelf and brought down this number. It's the oldest pot I own (from mother's collection), and the best I remember, was one of those freebies received in years past from the manufacturer when you bought their products -- in this case, McCormick tea.



I love the shape of the pot, and how unusual that it has its own tea leaves holder. Obviously, this was before tea bags were in common use.

Here's the bottom of the pot. Made in the U.S.A. This was when things were still made "locally" instead of in first Japan, then Taiwan and now, China.


Do you remember the days when complimentary items were given with purchases? Other examples I recall are a juice glass in a box of oatmeal; a glass or bowl in a box of laundry detergent; glassware with a gasoline purchase. And the most dreaded of all: flour packaged inside cotton print fabric, which mothers would sew into little play dresses and shorts for children. I recall wearing a few of those during the summer.

But back to teapots, because this is Thursday -- the day I want to devote to discussions about tea and tea accessories. 

What is your favorite type of pot in which to brew your tea? Teapot tastes are varied; there are many eclectic pots out there and I see many of them on Pinterest. Here's a sampling of teapot tastes:













All these modern designs make my McCormick pot look like an old-fashioned relic of the past (which it is). But I like it more than any of the designs shown above.

Do you have a favorite among these shown? If I had to pick one, it would probably be the yellow bee skep

16 comments:

  1. I drink tea only in the evenings, a bag tea (; . However, we do have a teapot, right now one from Alessi´s collections.
    I like your teapot most. Liking the color, the shape of it and the ceramic tea leaves holder.

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    1. I find I drink more tea during the colder months, but still try to have mid-morning tea each day. To me, the tea leaf holder is unique. I have never seen one of those with other pots, but then I'm no antique collector of tea pots.

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  2. I like your teapot better than any of the others too. Of the ones shown I would pick the first one for the blue/white if nothing else. We use a clear glass pot (with its own tea leaf holder) or a rather standard pot that matches my collection of Blue Willow. We still use loose leaf tea most of the time. I do buy bags of herbal teas sometimes, Stash is my go to brand for those.

    Darla

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    1. Yes, I was thinking that "real" tea drinkers prefer loose leaf over bags, but I use both. When in a hurry, the bags are a real convenience. And I always use bags when making iced tea. Lipton is my choice for iced tea. We drink it quite a bit during the summer. No sugar, just lemon and mint if I have it in the house.

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  3. There is nothing nicer than the old traditional tea pot. I love this post Sanda.. as I am a tea pot collector..although not got that many.. but i love them.
    Before i came to read what you had written at the end of your post.. if I was to choose it would have been the one with the B. I do not consider the others teapots..but show items for a shelf in the kitchen.
    A very interesting post Sanda.. I liked it.
    happy days.. val

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    1. I love teapots, too, but am not really a collector; I have 6 or 7. Agree that those shown are for display only.
      Thanks, and happy days to you as well.

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  4. Sanda, I also remember the giveaway items, but never something as nice as your pink teapot. I would choose it for my use over all the others, although I love the orange/green art deco one, purely for show. We have a pot of tea twice a day, always in a china pot, having several of those. Lovely post.

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    1. Thanks, Patricia. Marketing is so different now from the way it was in times past. Heck, no mail in offers now even on cereal boxes like it used to be! As a child I clipped Nifty coupons from theme paper packets and saved them until I had enough to mail away for free pencils. I haven't thought of that in years!

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  5. Hello Sanda

    Your teapot has such character and would also be my favourite. The others are certainly conversation pieces and amusing. I would be happy to have tea with you regardless of the pot.

    Helen xx

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    1. Hello there Helen

      It is an interesting pot and thank you. I would be pleased to offer you a cup any time of day.

      Hope you are enjoying your summer!

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  6. Your teapot is also my favorite.
    Remember so well the items with putchase as well as stamps and filling books in exchange for gifts. A thing of past!

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    1. Oh yes, those S&H Green Stamps and Top Value Stamps were something we saved religiously until the book was full. What fun it was to then go shop in their stores to choose an item in exchange for the stamp books.

      We should have saved some; bet they are now collector items!

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  7. our teapot matches our old johnson bros china, and i like its rounded shape.

    of the ones you picture above from pinterest, i love that one that's 3rd from the bottom. i like the squat shape, and it just grabs my eye for some reason.

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  8. There were so many teapot images I had difficulty choosing which ones to use. A teapot for every taste, and a real art form, I suppose. For everyday use, it's hard to beat the classics.

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  9. Just this morning I brewed my tea in the same type Tea Pot as Darla - one that matches my Blue Willow. I remember my grandmother pulling a full sized bath towel that had been compressed into a kitchen sponge sized brick from a box of powdered detergent. And Sperry's Wheat Hearts always had a spoon in it, presumably to eat the cooked cereal, which meant you had 20 times more spoons in the drawer than knives or forks.

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  10. Hope you enjoyed your blogging break,I missed you.If I was to choose one teapot it would be the 3rd one down,it reminds me of a Clarice Cliff design an English potter.I liked her quirky designs she was very progressive for the 1920/30s.

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