If you like slightly weird, unusual teapots and such you MUST check this guy out. Grafton Pottery created by Mitchell Grafton, Panama City, FL. mitchellgrafton@gmail.com

Mitchell creates whimsical pottery that revolve around animals. As though inspired by old fairy tales in which such creatures take on wondrous forms, human-like personalities and more, the vases, pots and cups are full of creative characteristics that to me are exquisitely bizarre and often just outright creepy- but I love them all!

He specializes in what he terms “Face Jugs” and Ceramic Art. A face jug is a jug pottery that depicts a face. There are examples in the pottery of ancient Greece, and that of Pre-Columbian America. Early European examples date from the 13th century, and the German stoneware Bartmann jug was a popular later medieval and Renaissance form. Later, the British Toby Jug was a popular form, that became mass-produced. Especially in America, a number of modern craft potters make pieces, mostly continuing the 19th-century African-American slave folk art tradition. Mitchell focuses on jugs, but he does make other items like the teapots and the mugs.

However, there is just one little problem – they are not inexpensive! We just ordered the Alice in Wonderland teapot for our daughter who LOVES anything that’s tea and Alice, but what could be a better Christmas present!