AN YIXING ‘FROG AND LOTUS’ TEAPOT AND COVER BY WANG YINCHUN (1897-1977) China. Finely and naturalistically modeled, the body in the form of overlapping lotus leaves, forming five round feet to the base. The spout also in the form of a lotus leaf while the handle is modeled as a gnarled branch, the circular cover in the form of a lotus pod with partly movable seeds and surmounted by a central knop in the form of a frog.

Inscriptions: To the interior of the cover, oval seal ‘Yinchun’. To the base, square seal ‘Made for the Imperial Court of the Great Qing Dynasty’.

Provenance: Old private villa estate in Bonn, Germany. German private collection, acquired from the above.
Condition: Good condition with extensive wear and some firing irregularities, occasional light scratches, microscopic nibbling to edges. Some of the movable seeds are stuck.

Weight: 418.2 g
Dimensions: Height 10.5 cm, Width 18.5 cm

Wang Yinchun (1897-1977), one of the Six Old Masters chosen to teach in the main factory when Yixing ware was revived in the 1950s, is well-known for his efficient yet high standard production of teapots in various forms. It is said that Wang used to make more than ten pieces each day without any compromise on the quality of a single teapot.

Auction result comparison: For a teapot and cover by the same artist, see Sotheby’s New York in Important Chinese Art on 15 March 2017, lot 725, sold for USD 13,750. Compare a related teapot by Jiang Rong, another of the Six Old Masters, at Christie’s New York in Contemporary Clay: Yixing Pottery from the Irving Collection on 19-26 March 2019, lot 15, sold for USD 37,500.

王寅春宜興青蛙蓮蓬茶壺
中國。壺身以重疊的荷葉形式出現，底部形成五足。壺嘴也呈荷葉形，而手柄則為樹枝狀。壺蓋呈蓮蓬狀，蓮子可活動，上面蓋鈕為青蛙。

款識：壺蓋内見“寅春“二字。壺底有四方印一枚”大清宮廷監造“。

來源：德國波恩私人別墅遺產。德國私人收藏，購於上述收藏。
品相：狀況良好，有大量磨損，並有一些燒製不規則現象，偶有輕微划痕，微小的邊緣磨損。 一些可活動的蓮子有點卡住。

重量： 418.2 克
尺寸：高10.5 厘米, 寬18.5 厘米

拍賣結果比較：同一藝術家的另一件茶壺見紐約蘇富比Important Chinese Art 拍場2017年3月15日 lot 725, 售價USD 13,750. 一件蔣蓉六字款蓮蓬茶壺見紐約佳士得Contemporary Clay: Yixing Pottery from the Irving Collection拍場2019年3月19-26日lot 15, 售價USD 37,500.