Tea for Tuesday - Not a Czech Teapot

January is "Hot Tea Month", so on this last Tuesday of the month, I wanted to bring you another episode of Tea for Tuesday before it's too late.

For all the years I've had this teapot, which isn't all that many, to tell the truth, I thought it was from Czechoslovakia.  It has the bright colors of some Czech pottery, and I've always displayed it with the Czech cup and saucer seen below.

This morning when doing research on it, I tipped it over and read "Made in Japan".  Hmm.  It makes no difference to me where it was made; I bought it for the bright colors that were hand painted.  I'm sure about the hand painting, because I read that on the bottom, too.

The cup and saucer were made by MZ Altrohlau which was in business from 1884 - 1945.  The mark on the bottom says "Czechoslovakia" which existed as a country between 1918 and 1992.  That would narrow the date of this cup and saucer between 1918 and 1945.

Here's a better view of the paint job, which is more watercolor-ish than the pot.  I personally prefer the teapot because of its crisp lines.  

Today's frigid weather makes it the perfect day to enjoy hot tea.  Happy Hot Tea Month to you!