The Chrysanthemum Teapot – So Rare And Hard To Make Even The Fakers Give Them A Miss

Why are Chrysanthemum teapots so valuable? Well, the short answer is that they were incredibly difficult to make. The chrysanthemum-form (also known as the melon-form) required a high level of precision in executing the segments to simulate floral or plant shapes, demonstrating the exceptional technical excellence achieved by the potters during both the Yongzheng and Qianlong periods.

Because the technical skill required to produce this form was so great, forgers tend to avoid attempting to replicate these pieces. While there are a few fake teapots in circulation, they are relatively rare due to the challenges involved in creating them.

Interestingly, I recall observing a 3D printer producing vases and other clay objects when I visited Jingdezhen several years ago. Perhaps fakers of the future will be producing chrysanthemum teapots through 3D printing methods.

During the seventh year of the Yongzheng period in 1729, the imperial workshop of the Qing dynasty documented the Gezuo Chengzuo Huoji Qingdang, which contained a record stating that Director Haiwang presented a Yixing chrysanthemum-shaped teapot on the 30th day of the seventh month, following a notice from Yuanmingyuan. In accordance with this, wood models of the teapot were sent to Nian Xiyao for porcelain replication using jun-imitation, sacrificial-red, and sacrificial-blue glazes, as decreed.

The Yongzheng Emperor held great admiration for the yixing chrysanthemum teapot and thus commissioned imperial porcelain teapots with various glazes based on this model. Similar teapots were produced during the Qianlong period.

Notice the variations, in form, glaze and body material.