A tea cosy is a cover for a teapot

Teapot

A teapot is a vessel used for steeping tea leaves or a herbal mix in near-boiling water. Tea may be either in a tea bag or loose, in which case a tea strainer will be needed, either to hold the leaves as they steep or to catch the leaves inside the teapot when the tea is poured...

, traditionally made of cloth or wool

Wool

Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....

, which is used to insulate

Thermal insulation

Thermal insulation is the reduction of the effects of the various processes of heat transfer between objects in thermal contact or in range of radiative influence. Heat transfer is the transfer of thermal energy between objects of differing temperature...

 the tea, keeping it warm while it brews. Cloth tea cosies often have padded inserts, which can be removed and washed separately.

Tea cosies are often available in matching sets with other items such as tablecloth

Tablecloth

A tablecloth is a cloth used to cover a table. Some are mainly ornamental coverings, which may also help protect the table from scratches and stains. Other tablecloths are designed to be spread on a dining table before laying out tableware and food....

s, oven glove

Oven glove

An oven glove, or oven mitt, is an insulated glove or mitten usually worn in the kitchen to protect the wearer's hand from hot objects such as ovens, stoves, cookware, etc....

s, or apron

Apron

An apron is an outer protective garment that covers primarily the front of the body. It may be worn for hygienic reasons as well as in order to protect clothes from wear and tear. The apron is commonly part of the uniform of several work categories, including waitresses, nurses, and domestic...

s. Cloth tea-cosies may be embroidered, perhaps to complement a fine set of china. Some have been made with hidden pockets to be filled with fragrant herb

Herb

Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...

s or flower

Flower

A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...

s, similar to a potpourri

Potpourri

Potpourri is a mixture of dried, naturally fragrant plant material, used to provide a gentle natural scent in houses. It is usually placed in a decorative wooden bowl, or tied in small sachet made from sheer fabric....

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Many tea cosies in Britain are hand-knitted, resembling woollen hats, even featuring a bobble

Bobble (knitting)

In knitting, a bobble is a localized set of stitches forming a raised bump. The bumps are usually arranged in a regular geometrical pattern or may be figurative, e.g., represent apples on a knitted tree....

 on top.

History

Although the history of the tea cosy may begin when tea was introduced to Britain in the 1660s, the first documented use of a tea cosy in Britain was in 1867. It is probably the Duchess of Bedford who, by establishing the activity of afternoon tea in 1840, would have brought the popularity of the tea cosy. Afternoon tea was the time for networking and keeping up to date with aristocracy gossip and topical news. With all the chatter at teatime the teapot would get cold, which would have at times cut short some tea parties. And so, the tea cosy came about. Tea cosies then flourished during the late 19th century, where they appeared in many households across Britain, motivated by the obsession of decorating and covering objects characteristic of the Victorian era

Victorian era

The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...

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Tea cosies started to be used in North America in the same period. Newspapers of the time reveal that tea cosies enjoyed "a sudden and unexpected rise in public favor" among women who hosted tea parties. Newspapers of the time included advice columns on how to make one: "Some very handsome ones are made of remnants of heavy brocade, but linen is generally used, embroidered or not, according to taste, as these covers are washable. Make the covering large enough for your teapot and provide a ring at the top to lift it off with."

Art and Literature

Tea cosy needlework art is captured by a collection of the Norfolk Museums and Archeology Service on contemporary British artists and artisans.

Tea cosies in fiction include the eponymous item in Edward Gorey

Edward Gorey

Edward St. John Gorey was an American writer and artist noted for his macabre illustrated books.-Early life:...

's The Haunted Tea-Cosy: A Dispirited and Distasteful Diversion for Christmas.

In the Harry Potter

Harry Potter

Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...

 series, the house elf Dobby

Dobby

Dobby may refer to:* Dobby , a character in Harry Potter* Tag , a children's chase game* Dobby loom* Dobby, a character in the Peep Show TV series- People :* Dobby Dobson , Jamaican reggae singer and record producer...

 wears a tea cosy for a hat.

In the 2000 film Snatch

Snatch

Snatch may refer to:* Snatch , a 2000 British gangster movie by director Guy Ritchie* Snatch theft, grab-and-run theft from a motorcycle, in Malaysia* Snatch, an album by Howie B* Snatch , or Anagrams, word game...

, a tea cosy is placed over Franky Four Fingers' (Benecio del Toro's) head in place of a blindfold when he is held captive by pawnbrokers-turned-robber-abductors Vinnie (Robbie Gee) and Sol (Lennie James).

In James Joyce's short story "An Encounter," Joe Dillon wears a tea-cosy on his head when playing the part of an Indian in his backyard.

Australian author Loani Prior's Wild Tea Cosies and Really Wild Tea Cosies made the Top Ten of the Australian National Bestseller List in 2008 and 2010 respectively. Loani's tea cosies have been exhibited at the Powerhouse Museum

Powerhouse Museum

The Powerhouse Museum is the major branch of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences in Sydney, the other being the historic Sydney Observatory...

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External links

• Example of modern Tea Cosy style PageQuilts website
• Example of Really Wild Tea Cosies GrandPurlBaa website