Antique Blue and White Porcelain Miniature Teapot, China (4056A-ZOK) $175
$175.00
H: 5.25” W: 4.75” D: 2.375” | FREE SHIPPING!
This elegantly shaped small teapot has finely painted cobalt blue chrysanthemum and bindweed designs in the center and upper registers and plantain leaf designs at the bottom, popular underglaze design elements were widely used in late 19th century in domestic and export wares. Below the short neck is a chain of roundels with nineteen spirals, and the lid is covered with bindweed and wave designs, the latter indicating a sea or lake. The lid is topped by a ball handle topped with a four-line star and the bottom has an abstract plantain leaf design. It is in very good condition with two small chips on the lid and a small chip on the end of the spout. The inside has been stained by more than a century of tea brewing.
Description
Chrysanthemum and bindweed decorative motifs are often used deigns on surfaces of underglaze cobalt blue and white porcelains, were especially popular in the 1860s – 1880s during the Tongzhi period and appear on both domestic and export ceramic pieces. Since bindweed grows wrapped around pine trees, it is a symbol of the close attachments formed in the relationships of love and marriage. The chrysanthemum is a symbol of longevity and petals for it are used in healthy and life-sustaining and tea. The abstract plantain leaf design (jiao ye wen) on the bottom with curving vertical lines was frequently seen on the necks, lower borders or shoulders of porcelains in the Song and Yuan through the Ming and Qing Dynasties. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, workers carried a small teapot called a “personal teapot” to prepare tea throughout the day. As tea was expensive, they brewed the same tea leaves several times storing them in their pots and simply added hot water for tea breaks.
Additional information
| Place of Origin | China |
|---|---|
| Period | Antique, Qing Dynasty |
| Date | 19th Century |
| Materials and Technique | Porcelain |
| Dimensions (inches) | Ht: 5.25” W: 4.75” D: 2.375" |
| Dimensions (metric) | Ht: 13.33cm W: 12.06cm D: 6.03cm |
| Weight | 11oz |
| Condition | Very good, see description |
| Shipping Box Size | |
| Reference Number | 4056a-ZOK |
