Lot 8098. An Yixing pottery teapot, Chen Mingyuan mark. Sold for US$ 68,750 (€61,532). Photo: Bonhams

The clay of sandy dark chocolate hue, the thinly convex lid fitted to the body potted in very flattened circular section supporting a ring shaped handle opposing an extremely truncated cylindrical spout, all raised atop the very short convex sides surrounding the crisply potted thin foot ring encircling the recessed base bearing the impressed two-character mark reading Mingyuan. 6in (15.2cm) width over handle

Provenance  purchased 18 April 1983, Dr. To, Good Brothers & Co, Hong Kong 
Thereupon acquired by the Museum in 1993 

Note: For a discussion of the 17th/18th century ceramicist Chen Mingyuan, see Bartholomew et. al, The Art of the Yixing Potter: the K.S. Lo Collection, Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware Hong Kong: the Urban Council, 1990. For an engaging discussion of the vibrant market for 'Shanghai Masterpiece' homages to Chen's work made in the 20th century, see Bartholomew and Lai The Bei Shan Tang Legacy: Yixing Zisha Stoneware [Beishan Jigu: Yixing Zisha] Hong Kong: Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2015, passim.

Bonhams. CHINESE, INDIAN, HIMALAYAN AND SOUTHEAST ASIAN ART AND PAINTINGS, 28 Jun 2016, 12:00 PDT, SAN FRANCISCO