Victoria Wrather reveals how she came to collect the vast and novel array of teapots that will be offered in the upcoming auction: Better by Design | The Principal Contents of Boden Hall.
27 February 2025
VIEW COLLECTION REQUEST A VALUATION CONTACT A SPECIALIST
'Fearful Consequences through the Laws of Natural Selection and Evolution of living up to one’s teapot'… inscribed on the base of the celebrated Royal Worcester 'Aesthetic' teapot.
The Vicky Wrather Collection of Teapots
When my brother gave me my very first teapot in my early twenties, little did I know quite where it would lead! He and I had been brought up in a vegetarian household - which at the time was unusual, and we have both remained lifelong veggies - rarely also consuming alcohol. So, when he gave me that first teapot (he was at school at Dartington at the time and I think paid ten old pennies for it at Totnes market) he said, 'well, you don’t drink anything else much apart from tea, so I’ve bought you this' and my addiction to tea for the past fifty years has remained pretty much the same.
A pottery teepee teapot and cover (£150-250)
As I love tea as a beverage so much and have enjoyed in my travels discovering all sorts of exciting infusions, a natural progression has been for me to become interested in teapots themselves and to form a collection, particularly if they are novel in their design.
Two Sadler teapots, an Art Deco Sadler racing teapot, a model of a coach (£100-200)
At one time I had over four hundred novelty teapots, all displayed in purpose-built cabinets at Boden Hall, which years ago had featured in a local Stoke-on-Trent newspaper and this editorial led to several readers writing to me, telling me how they had been employed at Sadler’s or wherever in the Potteries, doing either modelling or decoration. As a result, I have it from the horse’s mouth that the silver resist on the novelty motor car teapots only features on 'firsts' with no silver resist on 'seconds'!
I hope that my teapots give as much pleasure to future generations of collectors and/or those who just want a fun brew!
Victoria Wrather
January 2025
privatecollections@sworder.co.uk | 01279 817778
Many collectors of art and antiques will be familiar with the name of James Thursby-Pelham (1869-1947) and the celebrated collection in our upcoming Fine Interiors sales is not to be missed!
2 June 2026
This exceptional collection of Nigerian Adire indigo textiles, alongside other significant West African fabrics and ceremonial robes, dates from the 1920s onwards. The pieces were carefully curated during the 1970s and 1980s, representing an important body of material culture that reflects the artistry and social history of Yoruba textile traditions.
2 June 2026
Sworders are delighted and honoured to present a selection of chairs from the Frederick Parker Collection in their June Fine Interiors sale.
2 June 2026