Adams Black Basalt Neoclassical Widow Teapot, Circa 1790

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A scarce black Basalt engine-turned teapot, attributed to William Adams I (1746-1805) Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England, circa 1790.

William Adams I … Read more A scarce black Basalt engine-turned teapot, attributed to William Adams I (1746-1805) Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England, circa 1790.

William Adams I was an accomplished potter whose best known products included stonewares, jasper and basalt of the highest quality.

This teapot is beautifully modeled in the Neoclassical style with a parapet lip, and a lid finial representing the Sibyl, a seated female figure often referred to as the widow.
The basket like pattern on the body and lid was achieved by the use of an engine-turning lathe, first introduced to the Staffordshire pottery industry by Josiah Wedgwood in 1763.

Acanthus leaf detailing to handle and spout.

Black basalt pottery is made from a reddish-brown clay mixed with manganese oxide that produces a black body when fired in a kiln, making an extremely hard vitreous stoneware. The history of basalt dates back to the Iron Age, when naturally black clays were used in making pottery. Wedgwood refined his basalt formula around 1767 and it was copied by other potteries producing basalt objects in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

7.5 inches from handle to spout x 4 in. W x 4.5 in. H
This piece is unmarked.
In beautiful condition with the expected light wear due to age. See less