Tea anyone?

Throughout time, pots were initially made of clay or porcelain, it wasn’t until the reign of George II in the mid 1700’s that silver teapots appeared.

Silver was durable, retained heat and could be embellished with engraved designs, embossed floral patterns and exquisite monograms, making each one a small work of original art.

A  silver teapot was the most cherished possession of its owner, it sparkled in the light when used, and was a symbol of the owner’s prosperity and social standing.

Designs would often changed from simple round shapes to straight sided shapes, which were then replaced by oval and melon shaped teapots in the late 1700’s.

Queen Victoria popularized taking afternoon tea.

Lady Bedford, who was often too hungry to wait for her evening meal at 8pm, would often have tea and cake sent to her room. She started to invite guests and the ladies would dine whilst the men were at work. When Queen Victoria found out about this, she fell in love with the idea! She adopted the afternoon tea and set it as a tradition!

Women all over the country then started to have their own afternoon tea parties.

Industrialization allowed less expensive silver plated teapots to be produced for the middle class so that they could serve afternoon tea in as gracious a manner as they could afford.

All Victorian households had a teapot – including the poorest. Even if it was battered and falling apart the teapot was still the heart of the home.

People today still enjoy afternoon tea. Even it it's just a case of sticking on the kettle and grabbing a biscuit from the jar!

This one has been clearly well used and loved. And obviously it isn't going to be used to serve afternoon tea anymore, but it does make a beautiful addition to anyone's home decor.

What are your thoughts? Do you enjoy hosting afternoon tea with your friends?