A very rare George Jones 'Chinese Junk' teapot and cover, circa 1876A very rare George Jones 'Chinese Junk' teapot and cover, circa 1876Conceived in the form of a Chinese cargo boat fully laden with chests of tea, a single figure standing on top of the cover and steering the vessel using a twisted rope, the modelled details picked out in bright colours and gilding, 18.5cm high, 29.5cm long overall, moulded design registration lozenge (2)This well-known although extremely rare novelty teapot was more suited to the enamelled decoration used on this bone china version, although it was also issued in Majolica glazes. Robert Cluett, George Jones Ceramics (1998), pp.66 and 272 mentions a reference in factory records to this piece as a 'Gondolier' teapot and so the factory workmen were clearly confused by its concept. A Majolica example was sold by Christies on 26 November 2013, lot 167.