A Chinese Yixing Teapot, Qianlong mark and of the period (1735-96)
This Chinese Yixing teapot is of an attractive form with dark brown colouration and a generous handle. The base is impressed with a Qianlong reign seal mark and is of the period. The replacement spout and cover are unmarked but likely to be 18th-century English silver. The knop, formed from a piece of turned wood, is capped with a silver flower.
Since the 1500s, Yixing ware teapots have been made from zisha or ‘purple sand’ from Jiangsu Province, China. For Chinese tea connoisseurs, the Yixing teapot is regarded as the best of all for brewing perfect tea.
Condition: No chips, cracks or restoration, just surface scuffs from use. The dark brown zizha stoneware body has good patination. Tiny white spots of mica, small black spots from firing, and tiny holes in the surface are all characteristic of Yixing clay and production methods. The silver spout has typical dings, and the wooden knop has an old age-related split.
Dimensions: Height (to top of knop) 14 cm
Chinese Export Ceramics, Rose Kerr and Luisa E. Mengoni (V&A Publishing, 2011).