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How to Identify a Mary Englebreit Tea Pot

Mary Englebreit, a successful artist and entrepreneur, has been dubbed a modern-day Norman Rockwell. She started out drawing greeting-card covers and went on to create thousands of artistic products, including books, fabrics, decorations, puzzles and tea pots. As of January 2011, Englebreit no longer makes teapots, but you can still find them at websites, such as eBay, Higgins &Higgins and atOncer, or in vintage shops and at swap meets. Mary Eglebreit's website sells merchandise that features her teapot designs, such as stickers and blankets. Englebreit tea pots may be roundly plump, elongated or rectangular shaped, but they all have a classic, recognizable style.

Instructions

- 1
  Look at the bottom of the teapot for capital, white letters -- "ME" -- surrounded by black, and a white frame. This is the trademark symbol on the bottom of many of Mary Engelbreit teapots.
- 2
  Look for a black-and-white or sometimes a red-and-white checkered border that wraps around the bottom of the teapot lid or covers the teapot handle. Many of Engelbreit's teapots have this design.
- 3
  Notice the shapes that are painted over all -- or most -- of the teapot. Classic Mary Engelbreit shapes include cherries, small polka dots and flowers.
- 4
  Notice the teapot's background color components. Mary Engelbreit's teapots usually are completely covered with bright, cheerful colors such as yellows, reds, blues and purples. Some of her teapots have a black background covered with flowers or cherries.

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