Yixing stoneware teapot with lid
Teapot
1625-1655 (made)
1625-1655 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This teapot is an example of Yixing ware produced at the beginning of the Qing dynasty (1644-1910). The Yixing kilns, in the Jangsu province of eastern China, have been known since the 16th century for their teapots. The local clays in Yixing 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 an incised mark reading: 'Made by Hui Mengchen in Jingqi' (an old name for Yixing).
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Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Title | Yixing stoneware teapot with lid (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Stoneware |
| Brief description | Teapot in Yixing ware, China, Qing dynasty, ca. 1650-60 |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | 'Jing xi hui meng chen zhi' on base (Hui Mengchen is believed to have lived from the Tianqi period of the Ming dynasty to the Kangxi period of the Qing dynasty. A native of Jingxi, he was a renowned master of teapot craftsmanship.
His teapot artistry was outstanding and highly distinctive. His works primarily consisted of small teapots, with fewer medium-sized ones, and large teapots being the rarest. By the end of the 17th century, these were exported to various parts of Europe, significantly impacting early European teapot production.
The small teapots he created exhibited a deceptive simplicity that belied their sophistication, captivating viewers. He gained worldwide fame for his expertise in crafting small teapots, which later generations termed "Mengchen pots." However, after Hui Mengchen, numerous teapots, particularly small ones, were marked as Mengchen pots. Therefore, teapots with Mengchen inscriptions are not necessarily his work.) |
| Gallery label | Teapot
Made by Hui Mengchen
Ming-Qing dynasty
1625-1655
Yixing kilns, south China
Unglazed brown stoneware
Museum no. C.871-1936
From the Eumorfopoulos collection, purchased with the assistance of The Art Fund, the Vallentin Bequest, Sir Percival David and the Universities China Committee [Art Fund logo](2007) |
| Credit line | Purchased with Art Fund support, the Vallentin Bequest, Sir Percival David and the Universities China Committee |
| Summary | This teapot is an example of Yixing ware produced at the beginning of the Qing dynasty (1644-1910). The Yixing kilns, in the Jangsu province of eastern China, have been known since the 16th century for their teapots. The local clays in Yixing 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 an incised mark reading: 'Made by Hui Mengchen in Jingqi' (an old name for Yixing). |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.871&A-1936 |
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| Record created | February 27, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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