Sadler Teapots-My Crinoline Lady

[[posterous-content:pid___0]]

 

I love Sadler teapots. Perhaps it's a past life thing (in Victoran England?), or just my appreciation for all things English. No matter what the reason, I simply fall head over heels each time I'm lucky enough to find an authentic Sadler.

To my delight, my husband, who considers tuning up on my car to be a romantic gesture, just presented me with a Sadler Crinoline Lady for our 16th anniversary. After I made sure someone hadn't body-snatched my real husband, I embraced him quickly, and with tears welling up in my eyes, I slowly fondled my gorgeous teapot (or do I have that backward?).

It was perfect. No chips! No cracks! No crazing! No faded areas!

To convince myself that this was an authentic Sadler teapot, I turned it over and, sure enough, clearly stamped on the bottom were the words, "Sadler, Made in England." It was the real deal. I felt true joy, and so proud of my husband for knowing how to make his wife happy.

I then went to my computer and did a little research on my new treasure. In all likelihood, this Sadler dates back to the 1930's, the Art Deco period. I discovered that Queen Mary collected teapots and, in 1935, purchased a crinoline lady for her collection. Wow! I was in good company, indeed.

The word "crinoline" was quite unfamiliar to me. What exactly did it mean and how could a lady be crinoline? I looked it up and all became clear. Crinoline is "A petticoat of haircloth or other stiff material, worn under a full skirt to keep it belled out." Of course, that made perfect sense. The beautiful lady depicted on the front of my teapot is wearing a Victorian yellow and purple gown with a full, hooped skirt. Voila! The lady wears a crinoline dress as she sits in a tranquil, old world garden, with her thatched cottage in the background. If you look closely, you can see a small table in front of her with a teapot and tea cup. I imagine she is enjoying High Tea in her lavish backyard.

This lovely and rare (thank you, hubby) Sadler Crinoline Lady Teapot is covered in a golden floral chintz pattern on a creamy white backgound. I am now determined to find more crinoline ladies to add to my collection.

Wish me luck!