Shop Sign, 1870-1920

THF175572 / Shop Sign, 1870-1920
01

Artifact Overview

Figural signs representing the products or services a business offered often helped lure customers inside a shop. This eye-catching, turn-of-the-20th-century tin and wood sign is in the shape of a teapot. It may have hung outside a tea shop where passers-by could stop and have a cup of tea and purchase some tea leaves to take home.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Shop sign

Date Made

1870-1920

Place of Creation

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

69.153.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Tin (Metal)
Paint (Coating)
Wood (Plant material)

Technique

Gilding (Technique)

Color

Gold (Color)

Dimensions

Height: 39 in
Width: 31 in
Length: 57 in

02

Related Content

  • bea25884-d30d-6b61-be8b-ff010073bae4-card-image
    article

    Tales from the Collections Storage Building: The Giant Teapot

      Sometimes, the objects we find in storage surprise us. Learn how we discovered and cared for a giant golden teapot--a trade sign, likely for a tea shop or coffee house.
    • a metal structure being photographed outside
      article

      #Digitization100K: Wrap-Up and Round-Up

        Throughout November 2020, The Henry Ford celebrated reaching 100,000 digitized artifacts. Catch up on any of the related blog posts, fun facts, Twitter chats, and most-viewed artifacts you might have missed in this post!