I see in old movies that they occasionally use a teapot with the handle on the side. Usually see them in Navy flicks-- when the mess steward brings the cap’n some coffee or tea, they use a silver teapot with the handle on the side rather than on the back (behind the spout)
Anyone know what’s up with these? Are they just another style, or is there some advantage to them?
Fierra and I recently were at a museum reading the background information on several tea and coffee pots like you describe, and the card at the museum claimed that the handle on the side made it easier for a steward to pour the tea (or coffee) whilst standing behind and to the side of the guest.
It claimed “it was impolite of the steward to stand directly in front of the guest, as it might interrupt the flow of conversation of the guest. Thus, the stewards took a submissive attitude of standing behind the guests while pouring, and the side-mounted handle facilitated easy gripping in that posture.” Or at least that what I can read on the digital pic I took of the card.
Assuming that such a service was first used by the wealthy on land, not on the ocean, in England, why would it not be impolite of the butler to stand in front of the guest? After all, all the tea services one encounters are handle in back of spout. (One assumes the butler, of course, didn’t stand in front of the guest). So, IMHO, that explanation is right out the window.
Not really. I wasn’t trying to make a general statment that all side-handled tea services or all times and all nationalities and all styles are this way, I was reporting what I read. Given that tea services as we know them been around for…500 years or more, conservatively, it’s certainly possible that a “fashion” came about for part of society where it was considered more polite for the servant to be behind the servee. Even one localized to one country or reign.
Plus, many tea services are made for “serving others”, while many are made for “serving yourself” or family. There could be a big difference between the two in any given era.
Googling on this has been less than helpful. Among the explanations offered are such things as “it allows one to pour perpendicular to your front, in-line with spread feet, so it’s more stable on ship” to “side handles are cooler than rear handles” (?) to “it allows a more natural turning motion of the wrist.” Essentially, everything except “if you’re lesbian or gay, your teapot handle is on the left; if you’re straight, it’s on the rear; if you’re bi-curious you just drink coffee instead”.
The tradition of taking tea as it evolved in England was as an informal occasion: a servant would, naturally, bring the tea to the table, but it would be the hostess who would serve for the guests.