Teapot

The teapot is complete. It is barrel-shaped. Its swollen wall is topped by an angular shoulder and a short, straight cylindrical neck; the top is straight and flat. The inside of the neck has a slight circular protrusion. The teapot rests on a small foot in line with the wall, with a flat, wide, glaze-free base. The bottom is recessed and flat. The teapot is fitted with a vertical handle; folded down at its upper end, it rests on the wall. The lower part of the handle is attached to the bottom of the wall. The spout is tubular, curving outwards at mid-height and tapering towards the top. The spout ends in an oval, sloping opening. The inner wall, at its junction with the spout, is perforated with four circular holes arranged in a square. There’s a small incised ring under the bottom. The decoration is molded, transfer printed and hand-painted; it is blue in color and features the Fence motif. The molded decoration is visible on the handle and spout. Ear-shaped and oval in cross-section, the handle has a slight tray-like bulge on its outer surface. The painted decoration is located below the neck: it consists of two superimposed horizontal rings. Printed decoration is visible on the two opposite walls, adjacent to the handle and spout, as well as on the pouring spout. The main decoration is applied to the wall: it is the same decoration on both opposite sides. The decoration consists of two distinct areas separated by a stream. The foreground area, on dry land, has as its main element a fence made of a few sections: two are straight, while the others are arranged in a zig-zag pattern. The fence sections are decorated with hatching, with a small, three-lobed opening in the center. A rock borders the fence on the right. Leafy and flowering plant stems of varying scales adjoin the fence, including a long stem that extends upwards and to the left, towards the island; they are cross-hatched. The island is elongated and cross-hatched. It is topped by a hut with a curved straw roof, flanked by three trees; a lobed rock borders the island at water level. Waves made of horizontal lines strike the island and the rock. At the foot of the island, two stylized plant groups and two small emerging rocks stand out. Above the island fly two birds; seen in profile to the left, they follow each other, one wing pointing up and the other down. The upper part of the teapot’s spout, near the inner rim, is adorned with a small leafy stem, while its outer face is decorated with a leafy, flowering stem.