On display at Hohnecker's, is its heirloom, a giant, colorful teapot capable of holding 488 cups. It measures 37 inches in height and 72 inches in circumference. A bit unpractical in size, it has a hollow spout so that it can actually be put to sensible use-if anyone is capable of lifting it.
The teapot, circa 1910, is one of several produced by Alfred Meakin, from Tunstall, England. It, along with about a dozen others, was presented to leading china wholesalers in the United States as a promotional item. When the firm Becker-Hazleton Co. went out of business in 1959, G. J. Hohnecker acquired the teapot from them. Since then, it has been on display in Dubuque at Hohnecker's Gifts.
Each of the teapots were decorated in intricate detail, in an entirely individualistic manner. In lustre lettering, they were painted with the inscription, "Presented by Alfred Meakin, Tunstall England," followed by the name of the recipient, in this case Little, Bruce & Co., a predecessor to Becker-Hazleton Co.
An artist, A. Bourne, was employed by the Tunstall factory to hand paint the teapot. An old English picture on one side of the pot centers around a windmill beside a small lake. Upon the bank is a small boy fishing and a little girl feeding geese.
On the other side is a painting of two dogs waiting to pounce upon a small rabbit sitting terrified in its burrow. The lid shows a floral painting, such that it wraps around the teapot in one continuous picture. To anyone who is not a potter, this teapot is merely an exceptionally handsome curiosity. To the potter, however, interest is centered largely in the knowledge of the infinite patience and expert care demanded in its manufacture. This teapot represents an amazing feat in potting, firing and glazing.
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