A Yixing bamboo-section teapot by Li Baozhen (1888-1941)

竹节紫砂茶壶, 李宝珍制

the teapot made of Zi ni (purple clay), the graduated body modelled with three sections from the bottom to the lid, imitating the natural form of bamboo-sections, the handle and spout in the form of cane, and the lid and knob modelled as bamboo spray, one side of body inscription reading as 'Drinking tea under the moonlight and inscribing a poem in the bamboo grove' by Dong Xi, the other side carved with an associated scene with a poet looking far into the distance under a bamboo spray, the lid with impressed potter’s seal mark 'Baozhen' in regular script, the bottom with a commercial seal mark of Jin Ding (Golden vessel) from Wu Deshen (the purple clay pottery company)

Li Baozhen (1888-1941), a native of Yixing, was one of the teapot masters during late Qing to Republic. Li's teapots were usually in large size and in a simple and classic style.

Dong Xi, also Zhou Songting, was one of the leading teapot makers in late Qing, also a teapot dealer at that time. Apart from making teapot, Zhao was also knowledgeable in calligraphy and painting, therefore it was not unusual to see his inscriptions and paintings on his own or others teapot works.

The commercial seal mark of Jin Ding (Golden vessel) from Wu Deshen (the purple clay pottery company), established at Yixing in 1916. As a company, the mark was used under the bottom of commissioned teapots by artists. Many famous teapot artists such as  Li Baozhen, Feng Guilin, Yu Guoliang and Zhu Kexin, etc. were commissioned by the company. The company closed down by the start of the Sino-Japanese war in 1937, and the use of company's mark ended in 1939.

此壶以紫泥制, 壶身似三段竹节壶柄壶嘴似竹藤, 壶盖壶钮作竹叶竹枝状, 一面壶身有刻字: 月下品茶竹里题诗, 东溪刻, 另一面有相关人物画, 壶盖有楷书 “宝珍” 印, 壶底有 “吴德盛金鼎商标” 印

李宝珍 (1888-1941), 宜兴人, 为清末民国制壶大家。其壶器大, 具简约古雅, 朴实沉稳的特色。

东溪, 原名赵松亭, 为清末制壶名家, 并经营茶壶生意。赵氏擅长金石书画, 常在壶身镌刻书画。

吴德盛金鼎商标, 为吴德盛紫砂陶器行之商业商标, 钤于与其合作及订壶的名家作品壶底。成立于1921年, 与其合作名家众多, 如李宝珍、冯桂林、俞国良及朱可心等。1937年抗日战争爆发倒闭, 其商标印沿用于1939年。