Victorian Majolica “Three-Legged Sailor” Teapot, Attributed William Brownfield

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Victorian Majolica “Three-Legged Sailor” Teapot, Attributed to William Brownfield & Sons, c. 1880
Dimensions: 9" H × 7" W × … Read more Victorian Majolica “Three-Legged Sailor” Teapot, Attributed to William Brownfield & Sons, c. 1880
Dimensions: 9" H × 7" W × 5" D

This rare and engaging Victorian majolica teapot is modeled as a jaunty young Jack Tar sailor, perched on a coiled rope base with his extended leg cleverly forming the spout. In his right hand he grasps a boldly colored Union Jack flag, the staff of which forms the vessel’s sculptural handle—a humorous and patriotic flourish that reinforces the sailor’s identity as a symbol of Britain’s 19th-century maritime power.

Rendered in a vibrant palette of cobalt blue, turquoise, ochre, and deep brown, the figure wears a broad-brimmed hat and nautical collar, his relaxed pose and expressive modeling capturing the cheerful spirit associated with Victorian depictions of merchant seamen. The glossy majolica glazes, crisp molded details, and whimsical “third-leg” conceit are hallmarks of the inventive figural ware attributed to William Brownfield & Sons of Cobridge, a Staffordshire pottery celebrated for its novelty forms during the 1870s–1880s.

Charming, humorous, and distinctly British, the teapot exemplifies the Victorian fascination with narrative ceramics and the theatricality of everyday objects transformed into sculptural conversation pieces. See less