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Reflecting on the concluded Jiangsu Guanyu 2024 Spring “Zisha” Auction, besides “Shi Dabin's” "Lotus Petal Ruyi Teapot" fetching a whopping 21.85 million RMB, another teapot stole the spotlight. This was the “Zhenxiang”-made, “Qu Ziye”-engraved Plum Blossom “Zisha” “Qin Quan” Teapot, which sold for 3.68 million RMB.
Jiangsu “Guanyu” 2024 Spring Auction
Lot 8667 Mid-Qing Dynasty
“Zhenxiang”-made, “Qu Ziye”-engraved Plum Blossom “Zisha” “Qin Quan” Teapot
Price Realized: 3,680,000 RMB
The final price surpassed that of a similar “Qin Quan” teapot by the master “Gu Jingzhou”, which sold for 2.185 million RMB at Poly Auction Beijing in 2011. While “Gu’s” teapot was auctioned over a decade ago and cannot be directly compared to today's market, it nonetheless highlights the exceptional value of this piece.
“Qu Yingshao”, known by his courtesy name “Ziye”, was a distinguished figure in Shanghai and a renowned painter skilled in depicting bamboo. “Qu Ziye” pioneered a unique literati style by integrating calligraphy and painting into “Zisha” teapots.
He often collaborated with eminent potters such as “Yang Pengnian”, “Shen Xi”, and “Ji An”, inscribing his calligraphy and paintings onto their teapots. Among his creations, the "Ziye Shi Piao" teapot is the most famous, celebrated for its "three perfections" of superior calligraphy, painting, and potting.
