Vintage Paul Cardew Designed (Under License by Royal Doulton) Real Old Willow Earthenware Teapot, in Shape of Tea Cup, Saucer, and Spoon

This is a small ‘one cup’ earthenware teapot and underplate that was designed and made by Paul Cardew, under license by Royal Doulton. The teapot is in the shape of a tea cup, which sits on a saucer. The teapot’s lid looks like cream that has been poured into tea. The lid can be lifted by a finial, which is in the shape of a teaspoon that is submerged into the cream. The teapot and underplate/saucer is in Royal Doulton’s blue and white Booth’s Real Old Willow pattern. They have gold-gilded trims and the teaspoon/finial is also gold-gilded. Both the teapot and the underplate/saucer are marked on their undersides, with an indication that they were made by (Paul) Cardew Design, they were made under license by Royal Doulton, and they were made in 1998.

After obtaining an art education at England’s Loughborough Art College and Leicester University and (then) teaching at England’s Exeter Art College, Paul Cardew opened his first ceramics company in Devon, England, around 1976. He became particularly well-known (around the world) for the novelty teapots that he created. They were very imaginative, unusual, and highly detailed works of art. He and his team of workers created the ideas/designs and made the teapots. Some of the large teapots took the skilled team as long as eight days to produce. Cardew quickly received large orders for his ceramics from major department stores, such as London’s Selfridges and Harrods, and his company rapidly grew. In 1991, he founded the ceramics company called Cardew Design. Royal Doulton and the Disney Corporation are just two of the large company’s that Cardew Design created, under license, special teapots for. Although Cardew retired as a teapot designer/maker in 2008, he still continues to make and teach “ceramics”, in Cornwall, England.

Beginning around 1860, Thomas Booth and his sons (Thomas Gimbert and Frederick) founded and operated English ceramics companies that were successively known as Thomas Booth & Co., Thomas Booth & Son, and TG&F Booth. By 1891, their company that had become known as Booths was manufacturing earthenwares in Tunstall, Staffordshire, England. It made hundreds of beautiful patterns, but was best known for the highly collectable Real Old Willow pattern. This was an opaque earthenware (called Silicon China) reproduction of 18th Century blue and white Worcester transparent porcelain. Some of the Real Old Willow patterns had gold borders and trims. In the 20th Century, Booths became a part of the Pearson PLC Group and was involved in a few mergers. It operated using the names of Booths & Colclough's Ltd., Ridgway, Adderley, Booths, & Colcloughs Ltd, Ridgway Potteries, and Allied English Potteries. In 1972, Pearson purchased Doulton & Co., merged the new acquisition with Booths and the other ceramics companies that it owned/controlled, and operated the merged companies using the names Doulton & Co. and Royal Doulton. The Doulton pottery factory had been founded in London, in 1815. By the latter part of the 19th Century, it was operating using the name Doulton & Co. and was popular for its stoneware and ceramics. By the beginning of the 20th century, it had purchased a factory in Burslem, Staffordshire, had received the Royal Warrant and was allowed to use the name Royal Doulton, and was producing high-quality bone china. Although Booths was part of the Pearson/Doulton group in the 20th Century, it used its own well-known name on the backstamp of its earthenware products. When the Booth factory closed in 1981, Royal Doulton decided to continue to make Booths’ Real Old Willow products, but to use the Royal Doulton name on its backstamp. Royal Doulton’s Real Old Willow was produced on a translucent china body, instead of on an opaque silicon china one. Royal Doulton made Real Old Willow products, from 1982 until 1999.

The teapot is about 5 7/8 inches wide, including the handle and spout. It is about 4 inches high, with its lid on (and when it is not sitting on the underplate/saucer). Without the lid, it is about 3 inches high. The underplate/saucer has a diameter of about 5 1/4 inches.

This teapot, lid, and underplate/saucer are in very good condition, with no chips or cracks. There are two areas on the teapot (on the base and on the inside rim) where there are extremely light "lines" or "indented impressions" (that are definitely not cracks). Each area has two or three very light lines/impressions. I tried to capture this in images no. 9 and no. 10, but the lines are so light that you may not be able to see them.

RETURNS AND REFUNDS

Please read the description and view the images, which are a part of the description. I will not accept a return, unless I made a material misstatement in describing the item or failed to disclose significant damage. In such an instance, if I am contacted within 4 days of the receipt of the item, I agree to accept a return, and the item is returned to me within 10 days of the receipt, I will provide a full refund and will also reimburse the buyer for reasonable return shipping costs (for which the method of return has been agreed upon, before the item is returned). If an item is damaged during the initial shipping, the buyer is responsible for communicating with (and submitting paperwork and proof of damage to) the shipper, so that a refund can be obtained. I will assist the buyer with obtaining compensation for the damaged shipment, to the extent that I am able to.