Artist Signed Brown Betty Teapot: Hand-Painted Poppy Design, Gilt Trim

This little pot is spectacularly unusual; when I saw this item on the shelf I thought, "What is going on here?" It looks like an English Brown Betty teapot, with the dark clay and the glossy brown surface glaze.
The painted design is arty and colorful. Signed on both the inner lid and base, the piece is clearly someone's "work of art."
The body of this stout tea pot is treated in a high-gloss royal blue and brown "sponge/drip" glaze. The rim, top knob, spout, handle, and base are each coated in brass-like gilt paint. The highlight of the piece is the slightly-raised hand-painted poppy flower and leaves which decorate each side of the pot.
The inside of the pot shows no signs of use or wear. The blue and brown drip glaze could indicate a 1980's style of decoration, but there are a few aspects which could point to an earlier date:
1. It's unusual to see gilt embellishments on "modern" pieces. Not only due to the price, but the favor for gilt trim stems from earlier decades.
2. The shape of the pot has some style elements ... the raised neck into which the lid sets and the somewhat fancy handle ... which seem more 1940's -1950's.
3. Those hand-painted poppies have a decidedly 1950's look to them, in their style and the colors used.
The tea pot is signed and marked, but searches gave no useful info about who might have made this object.
The piece is 4 1/2" high, 8" from spout to handle, and is 5 1/2" wide. There is some slight wear on the handle and even less-visible wear on the knob -- so maybe this pot was used! -- but there are no cracks, chips, dings, or wear of the paint.
Really charming and unusual, ready for everyday use in your home, B & B, or tea shop.