Brown Betty: the archetypal teapot

Brown Betty: the archetypal teapot

An exhibition of form and function, refined over generations.
Vitsoe, London 2016.

“Brown Betty: The archetypal teapot, is a lovingly told story that chronicles the history of one of Britain’s most familiar, everyday, yet curiously uncelebrated, items; the Brown Betty teapot. Produced by talented ceramic designer Ian McIntyre, the show is a labour of love (and a tale of obsession). McIntyre shares his research into the origins of this recognisable tabletop object, his exploration of how the making of the teapot has evolved over time, his archive of such iterations, and his proposals for its future. McIntyre tells us this is a classic object; “not because of nostalgia, but because it’s the best at what it does.”

Laura Houseley, Editor-in-Chief for Modern Design Review, design writer and curator.

“It is for me, the most romantic and empathetic of all Western pots, a triumph in proto-modernism that Ian McIntyre has given a long overdue salute”. Garth Clark, art critic.

Read more about the collaboration with Vitsoe here

Images by Geof Howe