Past Imperfect, The Art of Inventive Repair

This unusual quadrangular form, brown stoneware Yixing teapot was made in China in the middle of the 18th century. It has a rabbit finial and measures approximately 5 inches high and 7 inches from handle to spout.

At some point in its early life, the original loop handle broke off and was replaced by an expertly made carved wood replacement. I am not sure if the silver spout was added at the same time as the handle, but it is also an early replacement, most likely done by a fine jeweler or silversmith.

I particularly like the rabbit finial, which has a missing foot. When I was young I was given a rabbit’s foot key chain. I was quite fond of it until I realized, much to my horror, that it was an actual rabbit’s foot! I do hope this little guy’s foot didn’t end up dangling from the end of a tiny keychain.

Tags: Chinese, metal spout, pottery, silver, wood handle, Yixing

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 16th, 2018 at 9:57 am and is filed under teapot. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.