{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O22904"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O22904/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AW2059/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AW2059/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AW2059","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BG5627","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BG1747","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AW2058","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AU4969","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2013GR0408","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2013GR0407","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O22904/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O22904","accessionNumber":"662 to C-1903","objectType":"Teapot","titles":[{"title":"Yixing stoneware teapot in Sheng design","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This stoneware teapot is in the form of a <i>sheng</i>. This was a Chinese musical wind instrument made from a group of reeds or bamboo tubes of different heights. The <i>sheng</i> was a particularly popular type of decoration in the Qing dynasty (1644-1912). At this time it was used to represent the Chinese word for 'growing' or 'give birth to', which is also pronounced 'sheng'. \r\nThis teapot is one of a pair, but since they were hand-made the two pieces are not identical. Even the brown clay fired to a slightly different colour. They were listed in the inventory of the great British collector William Beckford after his death in 1844. The two teapots appeared in the sale of his estate in 1845, and in the same year illustrations of them featured in the <i>Illustrated London News</i>.","physicalDescription":"A Yixing brown stoneware teapot in the form of a sheng, a musical wind instrument formed by a group of reeds or bamboo tubes of different heights. A cash pattern has been cut into the base to reveal the inner wall of the pot - a feature that would not be visible except when pouring the tea. A small cartouche with the name Menghou in seal script appears below the handle.\r\nThe sheng was a particularly popular decorative motif in the Qing dynasty as a rebus for 'growing' or 'give birth to', a word also pronounced 'sheng'. \r\nThe teapot is one of a pair, but since they were hand-made the two pieces are not identical. Even the brown clay fired to a slightly different colour.\r\nA very similar teapot is in Dresden (N93, PO 3896), which was catalogued in 1721.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"stoneware","id":"x30197"}],"techniques":[{"text":"unglazed","id":"x44601"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Red stoneware, hand moulded","categories":[{"text":"Tea, coffee & chocolate wares","id":"THES48886"},{"text":"Images Online","id":"THES48937"},{"text":"Drinking","id":"THES48965"},{"text":"Ceramics","id":"THES48982"},{"text":"Stoneware","id":"THES48890"}],"styles":[{"text":"Qing","id":"AAT18478"},{"text":"Kangxi","id":"AAT18482"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"EAS","id":"THES48596"},"images":["2006AW2059","2006BG5627","2006BG1747","2006AW2058","2006AU4969","2013GR0408","2013GR0407"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"145","id":"THES49865"},"free":"","case":"49","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"145","id":"THES49865"},"free":"","case":"49","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"44","id":"THES49802"},"free":"","case":"CA5","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"44","id":"THES49802"},"free":"","case":"CA5","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Teapot","id":""}],[{"text":"Lid","id":""}],[{"text":"Teapot","id":""}],[{"text":"Lid","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Yixing","id":"x32221"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1700-1720","earliest":"1700-01-01","latest":"1720-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"W. H. Cope Bequest","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"18.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"14.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"A small cartouche with the name Menghou in seal script appears below the handle.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"Bequeathed by Mr. W. H. Cope, accessioned in 1903. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.","historicalContext":"Bet McLeod's research has revealed that these two teapots were in William Beckford's inventory after his death in 1844, appeared in the sale 1845 and illustrated in the Illustrated London News 1845. She found no trace of Beckford's acquisition of the teapots.\r\nValuation is for one teapot","briefDescription":"Yixing ware. Teapot, brown stoneware in the form of instrument sheng, Yixing, China, 1700-1720","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Liefkes, Reino and Hilary Young (eds.) <i>Masterpieces of World Ceramics in the Victoria and Albert Museum</i>. London: V&A Publishing, 2008","id":"AUTH354348"},"details":"pp. 88-89","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"Wilson, Ming, <i>Rare marks on Chinese ceramics</i>, London : Published by the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1998","id":"AUTH357696"},"details":"63","free":""}],"production":"The Yixing teapots are normally built with slabs. The upper part of the teapots, imitating the Chinese traditional instrument 'Sheng,' is possibly moulded first and attached to the teapots in a later process in pottery building. ","productionType":{"text":"small batch","id":"THES252237"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Teapot \r\nMade by Menghou\r\n1700-1720\r\n\r\nThis teapot is shaped like the Chinese musical instrument sheng.\r\n\r\nUnglazed brown stoneware\r\nYixing kilns, south China\r\n\r\nW.H. Cope Bequest\r\nMuseum no. 662B&C-1903","date":{"text":"2007","earliest":"2007-01-01","latest":"2007-12-31"}},{"text":"‘Purple sand’ teapot\r\nChina, Yixing\r\n1700–20\r\n\r\nThis teapot imitates a sheng, a Chinese reed instrument. It was made after the Chinese switched from drinking tea whipped in a bowl to steeped tea, prepared in a pot.\r\n‘Purple sand’ teapots from Yixing were praised by Chinese scholars and tea connoisseurs. They were also exported to Europe, where potters tried to imitate them.\r\n\r\nUnglazed brown stoneware\r\n\r\nMuseum no. 662&A-1903\r\nW.H. Cope Bequest. Formerly in the collection of William Beckford (1760–1844)","date":{"text":"September 2009","earliest":"2009-09-01","latest":"2009-09-30"}}],"partNumbers":["662-1903","662A-1903","662B-1903","662C-1903"],"accessionNumberNum":"662","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1903,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Lid [1]","Teapot [1]","Lid [2]","Teapot [2]"],"assets":["2019LR1038","2019LP8939","2019LT4514","2019LT4491","2019LU2646","2019LU1344","2019LW9139","2019LW4279","2019MA2807"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-21","recordCreationDate":"2000-02-09","availableToBook":false}}