A very rare lacquered and enamelled Yixing stoneware 'chrysanthemum' teapot and cover, Qianlong period. Estimate HK$ 250,000 - 400,000 (€29,000 - 47,000). Photo Bonhams.
The compressed globular body finely moulded as a chrysanthemum, flanked by a pointed spout and 'C'-shaped handle, the exterior decorated with alternating wan symbols,ruyi-heads, bats and floral sprays, all lacquered red and picked out in gilt outlines above a dark blue ground, the base with a probably later red-lacquered Qianlong four-character kaishu mark. 17.5cm (6 7/8in) wide (2).
Notes: The tradition of Yixing wares commissioned by the Court first began in the Ming dynasty, however it was the subsequent Qing emperors who prized purple clay teapots, building up a collection of stunning Yixing teapots of all variety of form and decoration. The present lot is similar to a gilt-lacquered and enamelled Yixing teapot, gilt-incised Qianlong six-character mark and period, one of a pair, illustrated by Geng Baochang, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Purple Sandy Ware, Shanghai, 2008, pp.34-35, no.27; like most lacquered Yixing wares, the Palace Museum teapot was kept in the Yangxindian or Hall of Mental Cultivation and Qianqinggong or Palace of Heavenly Purity. It is noted that the Palace Museum example was first potted and fired in Yixing, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, and then lacquered, enamelled and gilt within the Palace: See Wang Jianhua, Yixing Zisha Wares in the Palace Museum, Beijing, 2007, p.64. Wang also states that these Yixing teapots were produce for imperial use and were made in sets or as pairs.
The chrysanthemum-form (also referred to as melon-form) of both the Palace Museum example and the present lot required high precision in executing the segments to simulate floral or plant shapes, demonstrating the exceptional technical excellence achieved by the potters during the Qianlong period.
BONHAM'S. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 4 Jun 2015 10:30 HKT - HONG KONG, ADMIRALTY