Q: I can’t find any information about the markings on my great-grandmother’s teapot. It’s signed “Olive Scott Ingalls” and dated 1824. The mark looks like a crown with the word “Shapoo” in it and the letters “T & R-B” under it. Can you tell me who made the teapot and if it’s valuable?
A: Shapoo pattern dishes were made by two different companies, Thomas Hughes and T. & R. Boote, both of Burslem, Staffordshire, England. Your teapot is marked “T & R-B,” so it was made by T. & R. Boote, which made Shapoo in the mid 1800s. This particular mark is not commonly found on pottery made by Boote, but it may be a special mark used on its Shapoo dishes. We couldn’t find any information about Olive Scott Ingalls. The name looks as though it was written over the glaze, and the name “Scott” was probably added later in a different color ink. The date “1824” may mark an important life event, possibly a birth, but is not when the teapot was made–since T. & R. Boote was not founded until 1842. Value of your teapot, if perfect: about $400.
