He trained as a botanist and lectured in this field before becoming a designer of metalwork, ceramics, glass and furniture. This handsome and completely unadorned teapot reflects many of his interests. The plain, geometric shape recalls the structural symmetry of plants and its bar-shaped ebonized wooden handle attesting to the impact of his visit to Japan in 1877. These features give the teapot a remarkably modern appearance. This teapot was made to Dresser's design by the firm of James Dixon and Sons, a member of the Art Furniture Alliance founded in 1880.