Teapot thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 137, The Curtain Foundation Gallery

Teapot

1984 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This teapot is a contemporary piece of ceramic ware produced in Yixing, in China's Jiangsu Province. The Yixing kilns have been known for their teapots since the 16th century.

The local clays have a high sand content and can be cream, red or warm brown. The teapots are not usually glazed, but burnished and fired, and unlike the majority of Chinese crafts, they can be signed by the potters. This example has the mark of Jiang Rong, a famous woman potter now honoured in China as a National Craft Master.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Teapot
  • Lid
Materials and techniques
Stoneware, clays of various colours, painted
Brief description
Teapot, in form of water chestnut, Jiang Rong, Yixing, China, 1984
Physical description
Decoration: Water chestnut in form
Box: Padded box. Booklet 'A million pairs of hands' in register with FE.60&A-1984 gives biography of maker
Dimensions
  • Height: 181cm
  • Width: 176.0cm
Marks and inscriptions
'Jiang Rong' (seal mark) on base
Gallery label
Teapot in form of water chestnut Made by Jiang Rong About 1984 Yixing kilns, south China Unglazed stoneware Museum no. FE.31-1984(2007)
Object history
Bought in Hong Kong by Rose Kerr, AK/ in course of trip to China to acquire 20th c. material in 1984
Production
Artist: Jiang Rong (1919-2008)
Biographical reference: A top craftswoman at Yixing. See booklet 'A million pairs of hands: the arts of Yi-xing', published by vendors. Her uncle is said in the 1930s to have made copies of nut teapots etc. of potters like Chen Mingyuan more skilfully made than the originals
Yixing, Jiangsu province, CHINA
Summary
This teapot is a contemporary piece of ceramic ware produced in Yixing, in China's Jiangsu Province. The Yixing kilns have been known for their teapots since the 16th century.

The local clays have a high sand content and can be cream, red or warm brown. The teapots are not usually glazed, but burnished and fired, and unlike the majority of Chinese crafts, they can be signed by the potters. This example has the mark of Jiang Rong, a famous woman potter now honoured in China as a National Craft Master.
Associated object
Bibliographic reference
Rose Kerr, 'Contemporary Chinese Crafts', 'V&A Album 4' (1985), p.322, fig.6: Frances Wood & Rose Kerr, 'Chinese collections', 'Crafts',77 (Nov/Dec, 1985), p.37 K.S Lo, 'The stonewares of Yixing', (Sotheby's/Hong Kong UP, 1986), pp.178, 224,227, pls.LII, 146
Collection
Accession number
FE.31&A-1984

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Record createdFebruary 12, 2000
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