Posts from the ‘Tourist Ware’ Category

Mar 5

Crazy Sea Shell Teapot – Souvenir Ware

I just had to buy this bizarre looking and quite Surrealist teapot as soon as I discovered it listed on Etsy several years ago – It is just so over the top – and so bizarre – Ive never seen anything quite like it. A large sea shell, covered in seaweed, barnacles, shellgrit and more – just as if it had been lifted out of the ocean. Its actually very well made and decorated considering it was made as “Tourist Ware”

Souvenir or Tourist Ware Pottery was very popular in the mid 20th Century – and these pieces are bizarrely stamped “Echternach” – a town in Luxembourg. A shell teapot from a country which is landlocked ?- very curious why.

I believe it was probably made in Japan, as I have since seen these pieces with different backstamps for different makers and or tourist destinations- so I am guessing it was production ware which would have been stamped with the purchasers mark.

I’m told by some others who have come across this design, that it also came in some slightly different colour variations, and sometimes the teapot had a wicker wrapped handle.