The Tale of the Rare Teapot
Beatrix Potter collection generates huge interest
18/06/2026
An antique teapot decorated with a Peter Rabbit scene smashed its estimate of £50 to £80 at auction on Tuesday, selling for £1,500.
The porcelain teapot, dating from the early 1900s, was the standout item in a private collection of 60 lots of Beatrix Potter books and collectables which opened our Antiques & Collectors auction on 16th June.
The collection achieved a total hammer price of £10,887 against an estimate of £4,500 to £6,000.
Unusually, the teapot has no marks or backstamps but is thought to originate from a European factory as possibly a unique prototype produced during the early licensing of Potter's illustrations.
Although best known for her books, Beatrix Potter was a pioneer of merchandising, handmaking and patenting the first Peter Rabbit toy in 1903, making him the first ever licensed character, long before this became common practice.
The illustration depicts a moment of dramatic consequence within the usually gentle world of Beatrix Potter, taken from 1904's The Tale of Benjamin Bunny. The scene shows Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny being disciplined by Old Mr. Bunny with his ‘little switch’ when they are caught emerging from the forbidden territory of Mr. McGregor's garden, where Peter's father famously met his fate of being put in a pie.
The strongest result of the many books in the collection came from two works by a prominent Beatrix Potter scholar and collector. Leslie Linder’s The Journal of Beatrix Potter and The Art of Beatrix Potter sold for £1,400 together against an estimate of £50 to £100.
“We expected great interest in this collection dedicated to arguably Britain's best-loved children's author and illustrator and it was great to see the teapot emerge as the tale of the day, with the winning bidder making a long journey to Market Harborough to secure it in person," comments Gildings director Mark Gilding. "The results reflect Beatrix Potter's timeless appeal, rooted in her entertaining and exquisitely illustrated tales. However, the teapot scene reminds us of the undercurrents of threat and danger in her work and certainly shows how times have changed since the book was published in 1904!"
Other notable results included several book-filled Peter Rabbit bookshelves, including one that sold for £650 against an estimate of £80 to £120. The Tale of Peter Rabbit with four other early reprints in glassine wrappers, estimated at £150 to £200, achieved £600, while a first commercial edition of The Tale of Peter Rabbit with a guide price of £100 to £150 fetched £230.
Steiff plush models of Peter Rabbit and the Mouse Tailor from The Tailor of Gloucester achieved £170 for the pair against an estimate of £40 to £60 and a collection of Beatrix Potter Society booklets with a guide price of £50 to £80 sold for £270.
This year marks both the 160th anniversary of Beatrix Potter's birth in July 1866 and the 125th anniversary of the first private 250-copy print run of The Tale of Peter Rabbit.
"Almost half the lots in the collection sold above their upper estimates, underlining the enduring demand for Beatrix Potter material and showing that unusual pieces like the teapot can be just as popular with collectors as early editions of her 23 beloved tales," adds Mark.
Those with similar collections to sell can arrange a free, no-obligation valuation at here.
