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Hello all, I have this object and I am unsure of what it is. I found two references online to a similar object that claimed it to be a "Chinese wine/tea pot". The people didn't seem to know a whole lot of what the were talking about though (the one just copied the description the other had). I am having a hard time seeing this as a wine pot and was hoping someone on here would know.
Its maybe 3 1/2" tall and made of some tin alloy most likely with 4 cloisonne panels. I would say its probably early Republic??
Any information would be helpful :)

Probably Chinese, and no reason to believe it couldn't be used for serving wine. Chinese varieties of sorghum-distilled "baijiu", including Maotai and Gaoliang, are usually served warm or at room temperature. Pots like this are used to keep the contents of the pourer warm, so would accommodate such wines as well as tea if need be.

The bottom mark says "Pure Silver (zuyin), but it looks a lot more like pewter in the photos

Best regards,

Bill H.

When you say "Republic," do you mean "People's Republic," post 1949?

Beadiste, I was originally referring to ROC but after seeing the similarities it shared with the pieces you posted I think it may be more likely PRC instead. Thank you.

Thank you Bill. The base of the interior container is not soldered together, there are gaps where the wine or tea would mix with the hot water, would that make a difference in you assessment or would that just be a mistake on this particular piece/shoddy construction?
Have you seen pieces like this before? Tbh I was thinking it was some sort of incomplete opium pipe or something.

It is definitely not silver, I thought it said so at first too but the top character seems different from what I'm familiar with but then I'm going off the Japanese jungin mark. My acid showed it to have a high level of nickel.

Would you say it's early republic? Are these things very rare or desirable?
Quality looks pretty decent, especially the mouse on the lid...?

Definitely Post-1949.

Bill H.

Sirs
It was the mouse that drew me to watch these threads so closely. Now the question is what has a mouse eating, supposedly cheese, got to do with drinks? Unless its wine.....
But if the piece leaks like a colander then perhaps not. Nice to look at though

Thanks, you're right, and the cheese tastes even better if you're born in the Year of the Rat. The "tree shrew" (a.k.a. first cousin to a squirrel) has a better diet of grapes and looks like a rat with tail that's having a bad hair day. But, the rat does alright on a diet of grain too, and that's where the claim "It tastes like chicken" comes from. However, these tree shrews tend to get their pictures painted on food-serving platters more often than the rats. Lucky too, if you need an icon of having a big family.

Best regards,

Bill H.

Brandon -

Doing a quick eBay search on "Tibetan teapot cloisonne" reveals many items with metal animal finials. Mostly monkeys, a few frogs... Changing the search to "Tibetan teapot rat" revealed the picture attached of a porcelain bowl with metal fittings. eBay item 202186553969

Someone seems to be cobbling together old stuff with new metal fittings to make these pots, and am guessing further eBay searches would reveal more items.

I recollect that "silver" stamp showing up on the backs of jewelry pendants made of glass and stone with filigree settings, but haven't checked that memory further.

That's interesting, thank you very much guys!
I take it there is not much collector value to it.. Ohwell, better luck next time lol

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