The Brown Betty – An Everyday Archetype at The China Hall, former Spode factory in Stoke-on-Trent
Sara Jaspan, Exhibitions Editor
The iconic Brown Betty teapot dates back to 1695, made from Etruria Marl red clay in Stoke-on-Trent and distinct for its Rockingham glaze (a dark treacle brown in colour). Once sold in its millions, the Brown Betty shaped Victorian Britain’s tea drinking habits and became celebrated as the world’s best tea-brewing vehicle, yet has since fallen from popularity and struggled to retain status in contemporary design markets. For BCB 2017, ceramicist Ian McIntyre has collaborated with Brown Betty’s manufacturers, Cauldron Ceramics, to create a new, stripped-back version of the English classic, repurposing it for a 21st century audience as an object to be admired and celebrated. An exclusive, limited edition of McIntyre’s Brown Betty teapot will be launched during the festival and available for sale through BCB.
