† A BLUE-GLAZED MOLDED LOTUS-PETAL TEAPOT AND COVER, JIAQING MARK AND PERIOD

† A BLUE-GLAZED MOLDED LOTUS-PETAL TEAPOT AND COVER, JIAQING MARK AND PERIOD

China, 1796-1820. Of compressed globular form, subtly molded with two rows of lotus petals, flanked by a short spout opposite to the curved handle, the exterior evenly covered in a rich blue glaze attractively pooling and thinning, save for the circular base reserved in white and inscribed with an underglaze-blue six-character seal mark da Qing Jiaqing nianzhi and of the period.

Provenance: Tessier-Sarrou, Paris, 13 December 2021, lot 200 (undated, with the mark described as apocryphal), sold for EUR 61,440 or approx.

EUR 70,500 (adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). The private collection of Jules Speelman, London, acquired from the above.

Authenticated by Christies New York as Jiaqing mark and period (1796-1820) in March 2024. The storage box with a label inscribed in Chinese, 'Jiaqing blue glazed tea pot'.

Jules Speelman is a world-leading dealer and collector of East Asian art with 60 years of experience. In 1964 he joined his late father, Alfred, in the family business which already stretched back three generations to 19th century Holland and expanded into England around the turn of the century. Originally, A & J Speelman dealt with antiques, from European ceramics, silver, tapestries, and furniture to Chinese porcelain, and works of art. With his father, Jules gradually shifted the focus towards Asia and under Jules Speelman's skilled direction, A & J Speelman is now considered amongst the foremost dealers in Asian antiques, with a particular emphasis on figurative sculpture and works of art from the past 2000 years.

Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear and manufacturing irregularities including a tiny firing crack to the mouth of the spout and another to the inner foot.

Weight: 390 g
Dimensions: Length 17.5 cm

With an associated padded storage box. (2)

Expert's note:
The lotus-petal form and the blue glaze on this rare teapot are inspired by earlier Ming examples such as the blue-glazed Xuande-marked teapot and cover in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, reference number 故瓷017770N000000000, illustrated in Porcelain of the National Palace Museum, Monochrome Ware of the Ming Dynasty, Hong Kong, 1968, p. 68, plates 10-10d. Later, in the Qing dynasty, the stout, compressed shape (without petals) can be found on Yixing wares with imperial marks, see for example a Yixing teapot with a Jiaqing mark and of the period in the Beijing Palace Museum, reference number 故00157150.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 30 May 2018, lot 32
Price: HKD 525,000 or approx.

EUR 67,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare blue-glazed lobed 'chrysanthemum' teapot, seal mark and period of Qianlong
Expert remark: Compare the related blue glaze and lobed form. Note the size (20.8 cm), missing cover, and earlier Qianlong reign mark.

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