Today’s teapot is one from the Ebay seller that is a particularly lovely one. It features a distressed yellow and blue pattern and since that is one of my favorite color combinations I am thrilled with this purchase. My other friend, not Mr. Google but Mr. Wikipedia, informed me what “toile” means.
Toile is a fabric, from the French word meaning “linen cloth” or “canvas”, particularly cloth or canvas for painting on. The word “toile” can refer to the fabric itself, a test garment (generally) sewn from the same material, or a type of repeated surface decoration (traditionally) printed on the same fabric. The term entered the English language around the 12th century.
However this is not a French teapot but rather—one made in China. As are many things.
I know very well that I am in a minority here. But still, how can you call yourself a true tea-lover if you destroy the flavour of your tea by putting sugar in it? It would be equally reasonable to put pepper or salt. Tea is meant to be bitter, just as beer is meant to be bitter. If you sweeten it, you are no longer tasting the tea, you are merely tasting the sugar; you could make a very similar drink by dissolving sugar in plain hot water. ~George Orwell, “A Nice Cup of Tea,”Evening Standard, 12 January 1946
38 Comments
Leave a commentI’m a fan of the yellow and blue color combination, as well, and I love the distressed pattern here. Really beautiful!
Hope you all are staying warm!
Hugs from Ecuador,
Kathy
Thanks, Kathy. It is prettier in person as always! We are hunkered down with a nice warm house in these horrid temperatures. So hard for those who have to be outside, though. It is brutal.
I just bought this exact teapot at a flea market today and gave it as a present. I am having a hard time finding info on this particular pattern. Does anybody know? BTW I like my tea hot or cold with lemon and honey!
It’s nice, Beth Ann. I don’t sweeten hot tea. I do, however, sweeten iced tea.
Isn’t it funny how we do things a bit differently with hot and cold?? I always used to use sugar in my hot tea and sweetener in my cold tea. Now I use more honey in my hot and drink my sweet unsweetened….or at least I try . 😉
I love toile! Wonderful find!!
Thanks!!! It is a really great teapot.
Out of your beautiful collection, this is my favorite because of the toile pattern. French Country is my favorite decorating style, just ask my home. Great find. Guess I should check EBay more than once a year. Hugs, Diane
So good to find someone who loves this design! I honestly had to look it up because I was clueless. 🙂 As I am about many things.
You’re not alone!
The pastoral painting on this teapot especially appeals to and intrigues me. Do you know the date of this teapot?
Also, I’m curious about the container holding the blue and silver balls behind the teapot. What is it? I really like the look.
I do not think that this is an old pot at all–just the style lends itself to looking “old”. I have no idea the age but I don’t think it is old at all.
The container in the back is a lamp with a clear square open base. Aaron found them and he turned his into a terrarium. I put Christmas balls in it at Christmas but the rest of the year it holds wine corks. It could hold anything and some day when I have my beach house it might house shells! 🙂 It is a really neat lamp, in my humble opinion! Thanks for noticiing.
That’s so pretty. I love this type of pattern and have been on the look out for either mugs or an everyday china set. So far, no luck… I think, I keep remembering how my grandma’s set looked like and I just haven’t found one that comes even close!!!
You have the perfect set in mind and nothing can fit if it is not like your grandma’s!!!! I totally get it. Have you been looking on Ebay??? There are tons!
I should take a look around. Haven’t been on Ebay in ages.
This charming teapot does look very French. I agree with Mr. Orwell, tea does not require sugar. My husband (who is British) puts milk in his tea but I drink mine without anything in it and love it.
Everyone has to drink it the way that is perfect for them and not “judge” others and how they choose to drink it, right?? 🙂 OF course your hubby puts milk in his!
So true. When I’m in England I have to be sure to order my tea black or they will put milk in it without asking. They just assume we all drink tea with milk . it is very funny. They even put milk in my mint tea!
Ugh, milk in mint tea sounds horrible. I can not imagine.
Love the toile pattern and the distressed look–a look we embrace in my house. Tea must have sugar–sugar cubes when possible–several. The end. 😀
I love sugar cubes but they are not easy to find around here. I always used them in Australia—so compact!!!!
I enjoy the backgrounds for your teapots as much as the teapots as they are always done so well. Sorry, I use Sweet & Low in both hot and cold tea.
Someone else commented on the object in the background. You would like it-Mother–it is a lamp with a square base that is open at the top to put stuff into. For that picture I had used some of those Christmas balls that we had used for decorations at your 80th birthday party! Look familiar???
Beautiful tea pot! I can’t imagine putting salt or pepper in tea. I used to sweeten it a lot and add milk, but now I just guzzle it plain like water.
Salt or pepper would be NASTY! Plain is just fine. I mix it up sometimes and try to keep people guessing how I like it! 🙂
I look for these old and broken and rusty watering cans, rough paint job and dress them up with paper flowers, vegetables, rural scenery, American folklore.
Very neat idea!
This certainly looks old, not my favorite combination of colors, I prefer clean crisp colors but we all have our own tastes. This makes us unique & wonderful.
Well, I must disagree with Mr. Orwell. I’m a BIG FAN of sugar in tea! I used to use milk but outgrew that. Ex-husband uses honey. Ex-sister-in-law swears by white mugs. To each, his (or her) own. That’s an interesting teapot, but I must confess, I’m not crazy about the yellowed portions. They look like stains I’d be trying to scrub out, ha!
Haha—I can see what you mean about the “stains” and you are probably right that it would bug me if this were my everyday teapot! From the looks of it it has never had a single cup brewed in it!
That is a nice blending of colors on your teapot.
Thank you Patti!
That is beautiful. When i think about Toile, I don’t think of China. *wink* Its lovely. Do you have certain teapots you only brew certain kinds of tea in?
Welcome back, Bernie!!! 🙂 I am not selective in what I brew certain teas in—I do have a couple of “everyday” teapots that I mainly use to brew in.
beautiful colours.
I feel bad now because I do add a bit of sugar to my tea. whoops!
or as my sore throat today demands, honey and lemon.
Oh no—there is no wrong way to take tea, IMHO!!!! Hope that sore throat goes away quickly!
I’ve always been a fan of yellow and blue together, as you can tell from some of the polos I wear. A great addition!
Thanks, TBM!