See our website post about Gail Ritchie that was written by Allie Farlowe. An excerpt is below.
Morning Glory Teapot is the second of two bird themed teapots by Ritchie in the Kamm Collection. In this instance, Ritchie’s subject is a crowing rooster who is richly painted in reds, blues, and browns. Blue morning glory flowers on a vine rest at his feet and a single blossom on his back acts as the teapot’s lid. The rooster’s flowing feathered tail curves downward serving as a handle and his open beak is the spout. A drawing for this work was among Ritchie’s submissions to a competition for the tea company Celestial Seasonings. Even though the design was not chosen, Ritchie hung onto the idea. She wanted to make that rooster one day. Morning Glory Teapot was eventually created for an exhibition at Ferrin Gallery in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, which is where the Kamms acquired the vessel.