A RARE PAINTED YIXING ZISHA TEAPOT, BY YUAN CHANGLIN, LATE QING DYNASTY TO REPUBLIC PERIOD China, 1850-1949. Of cylindrical form with a U-shaped handle and a short tapered spout, finely painted to the exterior with a magpie perched on a prunus branch, the white blossoms neatly molded, below two groups of three birds in the distance and flanked by two bats. The reverse with a leafy branch and butterfly above a bat and a leaf. The cover with a loop handle holding two loose rings carved with a twisted rope design. The base of the teapot with a maker's mark and the interior of the cover with a further mark.

Inscriptions: To the base, 'Yuan Changlin zhi'. To the interior of the cover, 'Shang Fu'.

Provenance: From a private estate in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. The previous owners lived in Hong Kong during the 1970s and 1980s.
Condition: Good condition with some wear, soiling, traces of age and use overall. The cover with small chips to the rims. The pot with a minuscule chip to the rim, and a fine hairline to the base.

Weight: 880.0 g
Dimensions: Height 21.7 cm

Expert's note: Note the striking contrast of the black paint with the buff ware, reminiscent of shadow agate carvings. The blossoms are finely molded and colored in white slip with a red dot at the center.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie's Hong Kong, 27 November 2019, lot 2832
Price: HKD 375,000 or approx. EUR 49,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Two Yixing teapots, late Qing - early Republic period
Expert remark: Compare the similar marks, form, handle, spout and cover with loop handle holding two loose rings carved with a twisted rope design. Note the smaller size of 13 cm. Also that this lot comprises a second teapot, by He Tingchu, dated to the 20^th century.



清末民初袁昌林款宜興紫砂茶壺
中國，1850-1949年。圓柱體，U形手柄，短壺嘴。外壁一面描繪著“喜上梅梢”，樹下兩隻蝙蝠；另一面蝴蝶花卉蝙蝠紋。壺蓋上有環鈕，環鈕上刻有繩紋。茶壺的底部有一個製造商的標記，蓋子內有標記。

款識：袁昌林製，上富

來源：美國亞利桑那州鳳凰城舊藏；此前持有人上世紀七十至八十年代曾在香港生活過。
品相：整體狀況良好，有一些磨損、污漬、年代痕跡和使用痕跡。蓋子邊緣有磕損，壺邊緣有一個微小的碎片，底部有一條細細的冲線。

重量：880.0 克
尺寸：高21.7 厘米

專家注釋：請注意黑彩與淺黃色瓷器的鮮明對比，讓人聯想到影子瑪瑙的雕刻。花朵經過精細的模製和著色，中間有一個紅點花蕊。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：香港佳士得，27 11月 2019年，lot 2832
價格：HKD 375,000（相當於今日EUR 49,000）
描述：清末民初兩件袁昌林款宜興紫砂茶壺
專家評論：比較相似的的款識、外型、手柄，壺蓋上有環鈕，環鈕上刻有繩紋。請注意尺寸僅有厘米、較小。另一件茶壺為何廷初款，斷為二十世紀。