Creative cozies

A doll could be more than a doll. It might be a candy container, tea cozy, lamp cover, powder-box cover or bed pillow.

In the days before microwaves, keeping water hot for tea was a problem. The water was boiled in a metal teakettle but usually served in a ceramic pot.

In the late 19 th century, the idea of a tea cozy appeared. A china teapot was used to serve tea, then put back on the table and covered with a cozy to stay warm.

Creative housewives made cozies of padded cloth to look like beehives, small houses, animals or even large dolls wearing full skirts.

It must have been strange to see a tea service with cups and saucers guarded by a standing doll in a flared dress. This 16-inch doll is really a 19th-century German tea cozy that sold recently for $258. The doll is made of carved and painted wood.

Tea cozies are still made, but few are as imaginative as the old collectible ones.

(this article was written by Ralp and Terry Kovel and taken from the Columbia Dispatch)