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I wonder if anyone on the forum could say something about this teapot that I have inherited.
//Marie.

Your teapot is in the Qianjiang painting style and possibly dates to the late Qing-Republic period, or about 1900.

The artist's signature isn't visible, but the inscriptions convey auspicious slogans popularly taught by older members of a traditional family when mentoring their young descendants. To the right of the teapot handle in the last photo, the inscription reads down as "Da Gu Yang" (大古羊), literally "Great Ancient Goat", While the other side has two lines reading down, next to the handle as "Fang Gu Yang" (仿古羊), literally "Emulate the Ancient Goat", and "Xi wen San Zi" (洗文三字), literally "Wash the writing of these three words".

What the child is supposed to learn from this lesson is that Yang/羊 can also take on the pronunciation and meaning of Xiang/祥 (auspicious or propitious), and that the first line at right means his family heritage is Great, Ancient and Propitious for all who revere it (in the Confucian sense).

The lesson continues in the second column on the left, where the child is enjoined by the first line, read as "Fang Gu Xiang", to emulate their auspicious ancestors, and by the second line, leading-off with alternate pronunciation as "Xian Wen San Zi", meaning "Clarify these three written words!" (for their real meaning).

If the kid was like me, he's still bewildered at how meaning and pronunciation can flip like this in Chinese. However, I have this Qianjiang tray by Guangxu-era artist Fang Tinghui (方廷辉) around to remind me of the real meaning. It also shows on a larger porcelain canvas where your teapot's artist was coming from.

Best regards,

Bill H.

Thank’s Bill for the detailed information about my teapot and that you share your amizing know ledge to me.// Marie

Thanks, Bill! I always learn something from your posts.

And thanks, Marie, for posting pics of your nifty teapot.

Dear Bill,

Isn't it likely that this was for wine rather than tea. Cleaning out the tea leaves through that small opening would be difficult.

I didn't really get much of a perspective on dimensions from the pix provided. The spout looked fairly normal to me. This is a tough row for me to hoe, 'cause I don't drink. Not that I'm bragging. See my favorite avatar below.

Bill H.

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