Hello!
I would like help to read this mark, that is on a yixing teapot, please.
Thank you very much.
Best regards,
Regina Gomes
Hello!
I'm sending more pictures. Could it be from Ming dynasty?
Thank you so much.
Best regards,
Regina Gomes
Definitely not Ming dynasty.
While I cannot read the mark proper due to seal characters not common on porcelain, the writing on the side is in normal characters.
The second character from the right (side of handle) is 德, That is the way we write it now, but the single horizontal stroke "一" in the middle of the right half of the character would not be there in the Ming dynasty. This stroke appeared only in the Qing dynasty.
I'm afraid you will have to wait and see if someone recognizes it, but if you read the section on Yixing marks on the main site you will see why these marks often require a specialized Yixing ware collector. Yixing collectors seldom are involved with porcelain, these teapots are mainly collected by those specialized on tea and tea wares.
I would like to mention something else which I noted only now when viewing the additional pictures. Yixing wares are classified as a type of stoneware in the west. They are made using a very dark clay, and mostly they have no painted decoration or glaze. Any decorations are usually added by carving the clay directly before firing, when it is not yet hard. This means the clay color inside the carved lines should be the same as outside, and the edges of the carved lines are sharp and not cragged like those here.
Why do they like that way here? I can think of two reasons for this... the carving was done after firing and/or the clay is not Yixing clay proper inside (or both). I'm not enough into this type of wares to know which, just to let you know the possibilities.
Thank you, Peter, for your answer, it was very helpful. I found a teapot in Christies auctions that have calligraphy. I don't know about the period of mine, but the clay seems to have signs of antiquity.
Thank you again.
Best wishes,
Regina
Hello!
Here is the image of the auction.