Rare Teapot, model no. 2277, circa 1880

Christopher Dresser, born in Glasgow, Scotland, attended the Schools of Design in London which were launched in the 1830s to train students to create designs specifically for industrial production. The introduction of machine manufacturing made household items accessible to a greater audience and created a need for designers to generate innovative new industrial processes. His formal training, coupled with his engagement with design reformers, such as Richard Redgrave and Henry Cole, led to various examinations and interpretations of pattern, nature, and ornament. The London Exposition of 1862 influenced Dresser’s interest in Japanese art, which can be seen in his mindful reduction of surface embellishment and abstract ornamentation. His aesthetic values did not translate to works that could be mass-manufactured, therefore many of his works were too expensive and too complicated to manufacture by machine. Only approximately twelve examples of this particular model have been recorded, one of which is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. This design appears as design no. 2277 in the 1879 manufacturer’s catalogue.