Manning Bowman/Alexandra Pottery Black Teapot

Porcelain : Antique : Teapot

 

This is a very unusual teapot, it is marked with the names of 2 manufactures, who are based on opposite sides of the Atlantic. The pot has a mark Manning Bowman, Alexandra Pottery Burslem, England. The mark has an English Registry Number of 135128. Manning Bowman was based in Connecticut, and is well know for their metal ware and enamelware items. H.J. Wood at their Alexandra Pottery, in Burslem, England, was well known for their hand decorated earthenware.

My first thought was that the body is enamel over metal, but my associates across the pond assure me the body is earthenware. HJ Wood produced and decorated the piece and it is very typical of their work. The metal lid & copper bottom were produced by Manning & Bowman.

The coralene style decoration is an intricate copper colored design that has the look of being etched through the glaze. It is accented with dots of white and light blue enamel. The bottom of the teapot is marked Patent Pending. The English Registry number dates it to around 1890. This is consistent with the patent date I’ve seen on similar pots of December 1895.

The tea pot measures approx 3.25 inches to the top of the rim. The opening is approx 3” in diameter. It is in excellent condition with virtually no loss of decoration. The copper bottom has the expected patina, as does the lid, which I believe is nickel over brass. The wood finial is in excellent condition. The black glaze is nice and shiny and well intact, although it does show some crazing under magnification.

Item ID: 1745