Tony Clark - Guest Columnist - OKT42 Automotive Teapots
From childhood Tony has been interested in motoring art. He had the choice to become an artist or a Chartered Civil Engineer. Engineering won, but still left time to collect motoring art. In 1980 he started collecting original motoring paintings, and developed a database of artists and gradually became interested in pottery.
After building a motoring art website he decided to build websites on Doulton and OKT42 teapots. Tony has written many articles on motoring art and profiles of individual artists for various UK magazines and was the Continental Correspondent for the AFAS Bulletin. He has also been a Consultant to a major UK auction house. Okt42.info [email protected] |
Some of Tony's Articles: Automotive Teapots
The Sadler OKT42 Teapots - Part I
Issue #12 Sept/Oct 2020 The “OKT42” teapots were made by James Sadler and Sons Company and take their name from the license plates which in most cases have the British registration mark OKT42; being a humorous abbreviation to fit the teapot. They were sold as novelty items for use making tea or just a display item. In fact, they are not particularly good as a teapot because using boiling water inside causes crazing of the glaze surface. They were sold all over the world including the USA/Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. So, what is my story about collecting these interesting pots? Simply, in the late 1980s I was buying automobilia for Bob Auten in the USA and included in the brief was searching out OKT42 teapots for his collection. In those days these teapots regularly appeared in auctions and as people did not know very much about them, it was possible to find the rarer colorways. I found the Art Deco shape and colors very attractive so I decided to collect a representative selection of the cheaper examples. A fateful decision! |