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Antique early 20th Chinese Exceptional Solid Silver Teapot, Wu Hua物華, Tianjin

About the Item

Antique early 20th Century exceptionally rare Chinese solid silver teapot, of traditional round form, the body finely engraved in traditional Chinese style, suggesting this teapot was made for the Chinese market. The body engraved with bamboo and butterflies , the unusual handle imitating bamboo, the removable lid set with a peach finial (Peaches are the symbol of longevity). According to Daoist lore, the peaches of immortality grew in the garden of the Queen Mother of the West - Xi Wangmu. the spout with a hedged cover in the shape of a lingzhi mushroom and a FU symbol of good furtune. the top frieze is decorated with 8 Chinese symbols: a scroll, a Ruyi scepter, a qin, The Endless Knot, a pendant, an old book, a wrist rest, and two overlapping squares. The teapot is very unusual, fine and exceptionally crisp. it is made of heavy Gauge silver and the attention to detail and design is simply outstanding. "WU HUA 物華 TIANJIN 天津 opened shortly after 1901 [after the Boxer rebellion], The artisan marks are SHEN 慎 and XIE 爕,b both closely connected with other known Wu Hua items. If an artisan was considered important enough to have a mark, they were already a “master” with of silver-making or a speciality technique connected with silver-making The over-ridding allegorical message conveyed by the decorative motifs collectively is “longevity”; the ruyi 如意 and meander borders convey this, as does the bamboo foliate & butterfly motif [the butterfly hudie 蝴蝶 is a symbol of long life]- the very name “ruyi” also means “as you wish” Bamboo zhu 竹 is a complex decorative motif. Firstly, it symbolises the ideals of a Confucian scholar, since both are perceived as being upright, strong and resilient as well as being gentle, graceful and refined. The name zhu 竹 is homophonous with the word zhu 祝, which means “to congratulate. The top border of the “eight precious things” babao 八宝 are collectively considered symbols of good fortune. Red ribbons makes each a charm. There is a difference between the Taoist and Buddhist interpretations and degree of importance of these symbols: The sequential order for Chinese Buddhism was defined in the Qing Dynasty as: Wheel of Dharma Conch shell Victory Banner Parasol Lotus flower Treasure Vase Golden Fish pair Endless knot Wu Hua silver had a definitive style and is always of a very high standard, Invariably conservatively traditional Chinese as much as the bounds of doing so Within a contrived Western form allows. From a silversmith who understood Western classical design so well, it is obvious There was an equally high degree of understanding of Chinese classicism. This teapot is an excellent edition to any important collection of Chinese antiques and Chinese silver.

Dimensions:

Height: 4.73 in (12 cm)Width: 4.34 in (11 cm)Depth: 6.7 in (17 cm)

Style:

Chinese Export (Of the Period)

Materials and Techniques:

Silver

Place of Origin:

China

Period:

Early 20th Century

Date of Manufacture:

1901

Condition:

Wear consistent with age and use. Some minor scratches and small minimal dents, this item was used and was never restored in any way, great condition for age, best quality and no missing parts.

Seller Location:

Tel Aviv - Jaffa, IL

Reference Number:

1stDibs: LU8130232628262

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