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Subject:Translation of Asian characters on Yixing teapot please
Posted By: Katherine H Sun, Jun 30, 2019 IP: 2606:a000:7a0c:6f00:

Hi!
Can anyone help to translate the characters on this Yixing teapot?
Thanks so much!!

Katherine h





Subject:Re: Translation of Asian characters on Yixing teapot please
Posted By: Bill H Sun, Jun 30, 2019

My partial reading of the mark, from the top right down and across, is:

許[寫?]-仙制 (Xu [Xie?] Xian Zhi) "Made by Xu [Xie?]-Xian"

I'm only moderately confident in the second character. I tried a Google asterisk search but found nothing that seemed related.

Best regards,

Bill H.

Subject:Re: Translation of Asian characters on Yixing teapot please
Posted By: mikeoz Mon, Jul 01, 2019

Dear Bill,

I looked to see if a Xu family maker with a Xian in their full name appeared in my rather out of date list of YiXing potters without success.

However, could it be that the pot is not YiXing, but from one of the other red clay areas producing teapots. The dark stain made me a little suspicious.

NiXing from Qinzhou would be my first guess. I have two brush pots with that dark exterior. Others to search would be Rong Chang in SiChuan or Jianshui n Yunnan.

Subject:Re: Translation of Asian characters on Yixing teapot please
Posted By: Katherine H Mon, Jul 01, 2019

Thank you so much Bill H. for your quick reply! Your information really helps lot!
One more thing...can you tell me when you say it reads " made by...", can I assume that is a modern translation and thus a modern piece OR do antique chop marks contain the character " made by.." also?
I'm trying to learn, so all of your insight is so appreciated!
Thanks!

Katherine h

Subject:Re: Translation of Asian characters on Yixing teapot please
Posted By: Bill H Mon, Jul 01, 2019

Thanks much mikeoz for the tips. I seem to recall that Yixing-style pots are made on Taiwan too.

For Katherine, I suppose the use of "Zhi/制" and its unsimplified counterpart "Zhi/製" for "Made by" dates back almost to when the habit of marking porcelain commenced (around the Song dynasty I believe); however, my Mainland published compendium of marks on historical porcelains doesn't show an example of a "Zhi/製" mark until the Yuan dynasty (1260-1368).

Hang in there with your studies. I understand that an enlarged new edition of Gerald Davison's currently sold-out printing of "The New & Revised Handbook of Marks on 'Chinese Ceramics" will be available circa the end of this year (probably for a few quid less than the four-figure "rare" price being sought by vendors of used copies. The book is arranged so that those who don't read Chinese can look up their character marks with a bit of practice.

Good luck,

Bill H.

Subject:Re: Translation of Asian characters on Yixing teapot please
Posted By: Katherine H Wed, Jul 03, 2019

WOW!!! Thank you, Bill H, I NAGY & mikeoz for ALL of your comments, help & information!
I can't thank you enough. Bill H you answered my question about the "made by" symbol perfectly. Now I know at least that symbol...I hope! I will keep an eye out for the book you mentioned also. I will be looking into the little teapot a bit more and try to find someone who can inspect it in person. I know there are lots of pop-offs out there, but hopefully this sweet little one is authentic. It's a pretty little pot. So nice to have such great leads! thanks again!!
Katherine h
ps: I will be posting more items soon with questions, now that I figured out how to re-size my photos. My husband & I love Asian art and have been picking up items for years at yard sales and thrift shops just to enjoy. Now it's time to know abit more about them. Thanks again!!

Subject:Re: Translation of Asian characters on Yixing teapot please
Posted By: I.Nagy Mon, Jul 01, 2019

I read it,
許鳳仙制 - Made by Xu Fengxian

With regards,
I.Nagy

Subject:Re: Translation of Asian characters on Yixing teapot please
Posted By: Bill H Tue, Jul 02, 2019

Rescued again!

Thank you I. Nagy and best regards,

Bill H.

Subject:Re: Translation of Asian characters on Yixing teapot please
Posted By: Bill H Tue, Jul 02, 2019

FYI, I found a Yahoo auction in Taiwan for a teapot by this artisan, with listed value of NTD (New Taiwan Dollars) 58,000, equal to US$ 1,870.01. I can't say whether this was overoptimistic or not.

Best regards,

Bill H.


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