From teapots to tea leaf readings, the Morris Museum will explore the world of tea this winter. More than 150 teapots from the collection of Mendham, N.J., resident Dr Unjeria C. Jackson, are on view through April 3, ranging from classic Chinese styles to elegant Victorian designs, to sleek contemporary versions in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors and materials.
Organized into seven sections, the exhibition features fine china, porcelain and stoneware, blue and white and white with accents of gold and silver, metal, musical and whimsical, miniatures and contemporary hand-crafted pieces.
Jackson began collecting teapots in 1994 when she was buying antique furniture for her home. Her collection has since expanded to more than 1,400 teapots. “Teapots by Design” at the Morris Museum represents the first time Dr Jackson’s teapots have been publicly exhibited.
Jackson is the author of the book Teapots by Design: A Collectors’ Catalogue (Schiffer Publishing, 2006), which includes 450 teapots from her collection, and for which she took all of the photographs.
An avid tea drinker, she uses many of the pots in her collection for brewing tea, although some are decorative works of art not intended for use. Jackson grew up in a family of tea drinkers in New Orleans, a city renowned for its signature blend of coffee with chicory.
The Morris Museum is at 6 Normandy Heights Road. For information, 973-971-3700 or www.morrismuseum.org .
