Finials that topped the lids of coffeepots, teapots, sugar bowls, and tureens, were a unique way of adding a design element to a pattern. Early patterns favored nature-inspired finials, like pine cones or pomegranates, but in the later years of flow blue and mulberry, finials became flowers, swirls, or just practical attachments for lifting a lid. It is helpful to study the finial when trying to identify a pattern, because Potteries would use the same undecorated “blank” to create several different designs.
You can contribute! If you have a Finial that is not currently listed please contribute. Take two photos, one of the piece of pottery and a second of the Finial, include the manufacture and the pattern name (if known) and send to the webmaster. Please take as large a photo as possible, I will reformat the photos for inclusion.
