Bone China Tea Pot

An antique bone china tea pot is a special treasure to most collectors. Although it is one of the strongest porcelains available, it has a unique translucence that is valued among those who admire it.

Tea pots can also be a whimsical collectible.

Bone china was developed in the late 1700s by Spode. It is the hardest and most resilient porcelain in existence due to the addition of bone ash. At the present time, Lenox is the only manufacturer of bone china in the United States.

All flesh is removed from animal bones and they are incinerated at a temperature of about 1,000 degrees F. At this temperature the bone turns to a fine ash very quickly. This ash makes up the largest percentage of the materials in a bone china tea pot.

The following materials are mixed together with water to form a slurry:

• Bone ash
• China and ball clay
• Feldspar
• Flint

The mixture is then ready to have the water and air pressed out of it. After this it is formed into the various pieces of bone china.

If you are antique shopping and you see a tea pot that you think might be bone china there is a way to tell for sure. Just hold it up to a bright light source and hold your hand behind it with your fingers outspread. Look through the top. First of all there should be some light flowing through the walls of the tea pot illuminating the inside.

You will also be able to see the shadows of your fingers through the antique bone china. If you can't you are holding a lovely tea pot but it is not bone china. This phenomenon is because the bone ash in the china makes the items translucent.

You can also flick the edge with your finger. There will be a clear ring that is specific to bone china. It is unmistakable.

For one reason or another most people want to know what their antiques and collectibles are worth. The most common reasons for evaluation include:

• Insurance appraisals
• Want to sell it
• Want to make sure they are getting a good deal
• Curiosity

If you are trying to evaluate your antique bone china tea pot in order to insure it then it is very important that you take it to an experienced appraiser for the current replacement value of the item. In any other situation, where the exact value might not be as important, you can usually do the research yourself and come up with a ballpark figure.

The first thing you should try to do is to identify the china pattern and maker of the tea pot. To do this gently turn the pot over and look for a maker's mark on the bottom. This may be a symbol, a name, a number, a date or other identifying mark. Scan this mark if you have a scanner so that you can take it with you if you need to do research away from home.

The next thing you will need to do is to try to find the mark on the Internet. Just type a description of the mark into a search engine. For example: “Green wreath china mark” will give you the following information:

• Lennox uses a wreath
  • Green from 1906-1930
  • Green with “Made in USA” from 1931 to 1952
  • Gold from 1953 onward

If you can't identify the mark on the Internet take a scan of the mark to the library and try to identify it with the help of a good collector's guide.

• All china imported to the United States after 1890 had to have the country of origin marked on it. That information should help you in your search, unless the stamp is worn off or unable to be read.
• If it says "Bone China" it was manufactured after 1900.
• "Limited" or "LTD" tells you that it was made after 1861.

Once you have the information about the date and the maker you can do a search for similar tea pots on the Internet. Finding these antique tea pots for sale in places like eBay and Tias will give you a general idea of what people will pay for an item like yours. Always take into consideration the condition of your piece. Cracks, nicks, and chips will bring the price down, as will fading of the design.

If you have a full set of bone china, with the antique tea cups, tea pot, sugar, and creamer the value will go up considerably.

A bone china plate, tea pot, or other item is a beautiful addition to your antique collection. You can easily use it on a daily basis. Just be sure to always hand wash your antiques. Dishwasher soap is harsh and can fade the designs very quickly.

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