Dog people can be notorious “collectors:” Sheepdog owners own sheep things, Scottie owners are often surrounded by plaid, Foxhound folks might have hunting paraphernalia – you get the idea. We’d be interested in hearing from owners of other breeds to see what, if any, their “weakness” is when it comes to collecting admitted dust magnets. We don’t know if the Hong Kong buyer of this teapot owns French Bulldogs, but it would make sense.
The stoneware ceramic teapot was hand-made by a Meryl Ruth who called it a “teabag,” her term for teapots created in the form of designer handbags from which pets emerge, as is seen here. The Frenchie’s head and paws were sculpted in wet clay. The spout, handles, leather straps, buckles and clasps were formed from extruded clay reworked to shape.
We provide additional details for ceramic artists who’d might be interested in finer details:
The faux fabric exterior surface of the teapot’s body was made by press mold to emulate silk brocade, while the clay sculpted dog bone figure at back of dog’s neck served as teapot’s lid.
Construction sequence:
- It was first fired to cone 06;
- Underglazes painted and airbrushed;
- It was refired to cone 5;
- China paints and opalescent overglazes were applied;
- Lusters were applied to hardware;
- Coloration was further enhanced and the design is detailed with China paints and opalescent overglazes;
- A final luster firing completed the work.
See the difference stages of development here. The piece was shown at Critters, University of New England Art Gallery, Portland, ME, 2011; Texas Teapot Tournament, Houston Potters Guild, Clay Art Museum and Educational Organization (CAMEO), Houston, TX, 2012.