While this soft paste teapot displays the globe shape and floral knop that are classic characteristics of Eighteenth century English porcelain, the folky enamel decoration recalls the cottage style associated with more everyday earthenware vessels. Broadly painted blossoms of pink and purple are accented by green foliage and smaller bright red blossoms. The most formal element in the design is the scale border in pink around the collar and flange of the lid that seems to emulate Worcester's well-known scale border in blue. Other slightly unexpected elements are the red petal tips of the floral knop and the applied leaves--enameled in green--at the base of its stem.

The identification of Baddeley-Littler porcelains is an example of the interaction of twentieth-century scholarship with sketchy historical records.

In Staffordshire Porcelain (1983) Geoffrey Godden makes the argument for a Baddeley and Littler attribution for an entire group of eighteenth century porcelain previously attributed to Liverpool manufacturer Thomas Wolf. The partnership was formed in 1777 between William Littler, an important figure in several ceramic manufactures and Ralph Baddeley, member of a family of successful Staffordshire potters. The partnership lasted until Littler's death in 1784, with Baddeley for a time continuing porcelain production on his own.  

We are suggesting a Baddeley and Littler attribution for this pot based on the combination of the pink scale border and distinct floral knop with leaf detail.  Godden illustrates multiple teapots with this knop and leaf detail as well as a sugar bowl combining the knop with a pink scale border (fig. 56, p. 43). An identical teapot was sold on Great Britain earlier this year under the label "Baddeley-Littler Type."

For those interested in scholarly detective work, we recommend Godden's account of his research in Staffordshire Porcelain.