Oh the mysterious smile on Mona Lisa has captured many art lover’s eye over the years since Leonardo da Vinci painted the painting circa 1503. Who would have ever dreamed that that mysterious and beguiling smile could grace a teapot?
It seems fitting that I share her again today as Chris and I just recently toured the Da Vinci exhibit at Biltmore.
This lovely apparently unused teapot was a great find on eBay and I was thrilled to add her to my collection.
She is ready to pour a cup of tea from her empty arm which could be rather creepy but I find it fun instead.
Her cup appears to have the letter M on it –maybe for Mona? Who knows?
The top of her head lifts off and serves as the lid and while that is creepy as well it is the way most of these “human type” teapots function. After all, who wouldn’t want boiling water poured into an empty head?
The maker of this particular teapot is Vandor and I think I have several other of their teapots in my collection but today I can not remember which ones they are.
I guess that means I need to really take better notes and keep a spread sheet of my teapots. I started that a couple years ago but life got in the way and I never finished. One of these days I will but until then I will just post them willy nilly and hope you enjoy them.
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(Referring to Jane Austen) At the center of almost every social situation in her novels one finds—tea. In “Emma,” does Miss Bates drink coffee? Of course not: “No coffee, I thank you, for me—never take coffee—a little tea if you please.” In “Sense and Sensibility,” what is everyone drinking when Elinor notices Edward’s mysterious ring set with a lock of hair? Tea, of course. And in “Pride and Prejudice,” what is one of the supreme honors Mr. Collins can envision Lady Catherine bestowing on Elizabeth Bennet and her friends? Why, drinking tea with her, naturally. Kim Wilson
