Lot Essay
A similar teapot, formerly belonging to the Mount Trust and exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1970, Catalogue, no.111, was sold in these Rooms, 19 April 1983, lot 6, and is illustrated by A. du Boulay, op.cit., p.231, fig.3. See also the similar teapot originally in the C. L. Paget Collection, illustrated by Soame Jenyns, Later Chinese Porcelain, pl.XXVI, fig.1. Famille noire porcelain is among the most contraversial of all Qing Dynasty enamelled ware, since large quantities of standard famille verte vases (and possibly vessels) are likely to have been over-decorated in the late 19th Century with a rich black wash, to appeal to the insatiable hunger among new collectors for this most expensive of Kangxi enamelled porcelain. However, certain smaller vessels can be confidently ascribed to the Kangxi period with original black grounds, since they were reproduced at the same time or slightly afterwards by Dutch Delft potters. Teapots of this kind, as well as other smaller items from tea-services, can be found as early 18th Century Dutch Deflt.