1920s Yixing Tea Pot Inscribed by Quan Shi of the Chinese Republic Era

Description

The period after the founding of the Chinese Republic was a flowering period of Yixing wares. Small shops set up … more The period after the founding of the Chinese Republic was a flowering period of Yixing wares. Small shops set up businesses, potters made teapots. At this time, many potters were incapable of decorating the teapot surfaces with lines of poetic inscription in praise of tea, scholar/calligrapher/inscribers were invited to decorate the teapots to the scholars taste. This globular shape teapot with round sides provided ample space for the artist/inscriber to enhance the teapot with a spray of chrysanthemums and a poetic line. The inscription is written in cursive script and is a challenge to fully translate. Loosely speaking, it is a praise the exquisite taste of tea for which there is no adequate English translation. The three characters 泉石刻 inscribed by Quan Shi belonged to a well known artist inscriber who worked for several shops in Yixing. The potter's seal is stamped on the bottom of the lid. Seven little drainage holes, typical of teapots in this period, prevent tea leaves to come through.

The chocolate brown color of this clay is lighter than the typical Zisha or Purple Sand of the later teapots. It is because the teapots of the Republic Period circa 1920's to 1930's were still fired inside a saggar and placed in a dragon kiln. The teapot is well made and is in good condition. It is a easy to use, rounded handle and an "ox nose ring" as a finial for the lid. However, it appears the teapot was never used. less