Dating antique teapots

Dating and condition

The shapes of tea and coffee pots can help with dating them, but because many 18th-century styles were repeated in the 19th and 20th centuries you need to check the marks on the base to tell whether the piece is a later reproduction. There is nothing wrong with buying, say, a 19th-century coffee pot in an 18th-century style, provided the marks are correct for the date it was made and the pot is priced as a reproduction.

Bear in mind that coffee and teapots were made to be used and may have become well worn as a result. Before you buy one examine it carefully for damage, which can be expensive to restore.

Teapots
The “bullet” teapot at the top of the page has a lid with a concealed hinge, which was attached before the base was soldered on. One like this would be worth £3,000 or more. Check lids carefully before buying - if the hinge is weak it may be impossible to restore

Decoration can help with dating. This piece shows a technique known as bright-cutting, which was popular in the late 18th century. This sort of pot would fetch between £1,500 and £2,000

Some 19th-century teapots were so elaborate it is hard to imagine they were ever used! This one, made in 1814, is covered with undulating foliage and has a handle made to look like bark. It’s worth between £1,500 and £2,000.

What to look for:
• check the point where the handle joins the body to make sure it’s secure
• examine the hinge on the lid - make sure it’s not weak or restored
• make sure the spout isn’t split
• breathe on the finial and around the spout and hinges - this helps to show up repairs

(This article was taken from www.bbc.co.uk/antiques)