Remarkable example of Victorian satire

A RARE and remarkable example of Victorian satire is set to go under the hammer at Plymouth Auction Rooms on November 5 - the Royal Worcester ‘Aesthetic Teapot, modelled by James Hadley in 1881.

- 

Far more than just a piece of porcelain, this whimsical yet biting creation pokes fun at the Aesthetic Movement, made famous by flamboyant figures like Oscar Wilde, and parodies the era's obsession with beauty, gender roles, and even Charles Darwin's controversial theory of evolution. The teapot features an exaggerated male figure clutching a sunflower and a female figure