Did Wedgwood make Black Basalt teapots?

Wedgwood made Black Basalt teapots from the eighteenth century, and surviving examples show that the material was used for practical tableware alongside ornamental vases, busts and medallions. The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds a Wedgwood Black Basalt teapot dated 1780–1790. It is described as unglazed stoneware and measures about 9.8 centimetres high by 14.9 centimetres across. Black Basalt suited tea wares visually, as its dark body created a strong contrast with fashionable cream-coloured ceramics and silver objects on the Georgian table. Teapots could carry moulded decoration, geometric forms, engine turning or classical references.

Collectors should inspect old teapots carefully, as the spout, handle, lid, finial and rim are common places to find chips, cracks or restoration. A replacement lid can affect desirability, particularly on an early example. Interior staining does not automatically make an old teapot undesirable. An object made more than 200 years ago may carry signs of genuine use and so condition, rarity, shape, decoration, mark and provenance all contribute to collector interest. Black Basalt teapots provide a useful reminder that Wedgwood's famous dark stoneware was not restricted to display pieces.