Page 126 - Nov. 27 2019 Christie's Hong Kong Desk Objects

PROPERTY FROM THE KAM KU HIN COLLECTION
㞙۵㌿Ὂⳉ
2860
A LARGE INSCRIBED YIXING TEAPOT ᓒᒞ ׁ᪺ ೞ⧂♟⊐ờ㖳९ύ૑
LATE MING DYNASTY - EARLY QING DYNASTY, 17TH CENTURY
೭㕇஋ᷪ卿೭⸌⯝೭㕇⢙भἃ஋↗㵲ǯ㟏ה⃹Ꮘ⥷↗ₕǯഌ஄ᐍ卿Ӳᆜ
The teapot is modelled with a globular body, an ear-shaped handle ᱁ǯ೭㕇Ӭڬߴ৿ℳᚸ䁬㉼Ƕⱍ⸊᧊㘨㗞᷉Ƿ厍Ǹᰞ㪈ㇼऀᛞ卻ൈ卼⏟ਮ卿
and a curved spout. The exterior is incised in running script with Ӭ‷ޒᇵஙℱ೭ǹ卿 㪪Ǹഌᆰǹ᪪ǯ
two lines from a Tang-dynasty poem by Wang Changling titled
Bidding Farewell to Xinjian at the Hibiscus Pavilion, followed by the ᫉೭ᆨ߰㖅ഌ卿㘆 ݩߎ༶Ǯ ݩߎ㵶卿ֿ೭㕇࣡ᄟۣᝳ ݩߎ卿
name of potter Dabin. The slightly domed cover is modeled with ӻᙃ㵲⤇ᢣ᱁ᜩ卿㞒㞔㖔⎻ჹம卿ㅳ೭⩢ᐃ⻱Ԡ๽ᾳज㇦Ӭᙚǯ
a finial in the form of a lion with its right front paw on a brocade
㘆ַഌ೭㯄ἃ⧎㇦ǯ՗㛢㿪ᨲྒྷⶃ◙ཀ⻦ᝳݦ։⊐ݯ㧷ྒྷ▭Ⴧ㪰݉㪏↵
ball.
卼ᙻ ჺᘁ⯍ᚚទ⎏໺⯞ⳍ೭卿ݯԋ㖅ഌ⎏Ӭ։⯝᫉ங
11Æ in. (29.9 cm.) long, box
ᆨ߰Ǯཨ༿卻⡙ ݩߎ༶卼ࣿ࣡ᄟӳ⎐ࢦߎ⏟ַ卿೭㕇Քߴᝳリᝧ㉼ᙔ厍
HK$300,000-600,000 US$39,000-77,000 Ǹⳍᾳ᳖㲞ᝳ卿໵ߪӬज੧ǹ卿㪪Ǹᛞഌᆰ٬ऒǹ᪪卿㇦ǶȍȞȗɗȹ
ल଍Ƿ卿㮰 卿எ‸ ⽚卻ॲː卼ǯऱᝧஎ‸ ⽚ἃ㪰݉◲Ⴧ჌ݣᚚទ
It is very rare to find such a well modelled teapot in this size. The ⎏औӬ։༈ῗᅴⳍ೭卿ۣ ݩߎ㵶ǯӲ։ⳍ೭⎐ἃℒເ卿᫉ἃᚺ⯍᳖
current teapot is close to 30 cm. in length and 22 cm. in height, but it
has a remarkably thin wall measuring only around 0.2 cm., which could ߝ໺⯞೭჎㇦⁞ᇨԠӬ卿ᇌឆⳍ೭അ㇦⣥ເǯ
only have been achieved by a potter of distinguished talent.
A closely related teapot is in the collection of Mampuku-Ji Temple,
Kyoto, illustrated in 석섮섧셧셉ǩ،, n. p. n. d., p. 14, no. 2 (fig. 1). It
was brought to Japan along with a smaller Yixing teapot, ibid. no. 1,
by the temple’s Chinese founder Yinyuan Longqi (Ingen Ryuki) (1592-
1673) when he left China in 1654. The larger Mampuku-Ji Temple
teapot is very similar to the current teapot in form and size (approx.
28 cm. long) with equally thin walls and a poetic inscription followed
by the signature Shi Dabin fanggu (Shi Dabin imitating the ancient).
All three teapots have a single hole connecting the body and spout,
a characteristic of Ming to early Qing Dynasty Yixing teapots. Those
dated later almost invariably have a pierced dome in place.
Shi Dabin is one of the most prestigious Yixing potters in history. His
exact dates are unknown but is generally believed to have been active
during the late Ming and early Qing period. Works bearing his name
abound but genuine ones remain controversial. It is possible that the
potter’s name on the current teapot is an attribution, but the quality of
its craftsmanship is indisputably high, and its strong similarity to the
Manfuku-Ji Temple teapot which entered Japan in 1654 suggests the
dating of the current teapot to be no later than early Qing.

fig. 1 A large Yixing teapot signed Shi Dabin, brought to Japan from China by
Yinyuan Longqi. Collection of Mampukuji, Kyoto Prefecture
எӬ 㪰݉㪏↵⯇⊇ ᛞഌᆰ᪪໺⯞⡻⒬஋↗೭ ՗㛢㿪ᨲྒྷⶃ◙ཀ⻦৅

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