Art Deco/Modernist CUBE tea set in hand-hammered, silver-plated brass, England c1930

The Cube teapot was invented in 1917 to be the “perfect tea pot.” It didn’t drip, the spout didn’t chip, it could be stacked easily and wouldn’t roll over. They were primarily made of china and porcelain. In 1925 Robert Crawford Johnson, the developer, launched a major campaign to protect his patent from imitation. The “CUBE Teapots Ltd” was formed, and a major marketing campaign was launched to promote the “authentic” Cube.

Although several companies, including Wedgewood, bought the license to manufacture the Cube, all Cube teapots were prominently labeled with the “CUBE” logo and the manufacturer’s name below that. Their most important contract was as the “Official Teapot” of the Cunard Line… The Queen Mary through the QE2 all served tea from the Cube.

Considering the huge popularity of the Cube teapot in its day, they are becoming rather scarce today. Most were made of ceramic and are long gone. They were decorated in a great range of styles… some downright ugly! The Cube was produced in Sheffield silver plate by T. Wilkinson & Sons. The undecorated simple version is a classic in teapot history. In addition to the standard features of the Cube, the metal version has an ebony plug at the top and holes near the handle at the base. This was to prevent conduction of heat to the handle.

This particular set combines the Cube heritage with an unusual artisan’s touch. The standard brass tea set has been hand-hammered in a wonderful Art Deco design before silver plating. This is a very rare version… also a book piece (Garth Clark, The Artful Teapot)… of a very popular and collectable teapot.

Condition: Excellent. The brass has quite a bit of patina, which is normal. It does not reduce the value of the set to use polish to shine the metal. But any kind of serious restoration would reduce its value.

Measurements: The teapot is a 4-inch cube. The sugar is a 2.75-inch cube, and the creamer is a 2.5-inch cube.

Price: $1,090.00

Reference: N0000094

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