An 18th century jade teapot, described as 'intrinsically perfect' and crafted for a Chinese emperor, has sold at auction for £2 million. The artefact, originally made for Qianlong, the fourth ruler of the Chinese Qing dynasty, recently sold at Sotheby's in Hong Kong for HK$21,640,000 (approximately £2 million) following a fierce bidding war.
Exceptional Craftsmanship and Condition
The teapot, which measures eight inches long and five inches high, attracted over 20 bids at auction and sold above its top estimate to a private Asian company. Despite being more than 200 years old, the Khotan white jade teapot remains in exquisite condition, having rarely been used for tea-making. Its £2 million price tag places it among the world's most expensive teapots, though a bejewelled pot named 'The Egoist' holds the Guinness World Record at £3 million.
Historical Significance
The teapot has a rich history, having been custom-made for the 'jade obsessed' Emperor Qianlong, under whose rule Chinese jade art reached its peak through advanced mining, material selection, and carving techniques. While many jade items were produced during his reign, teapots were among the rarest due to the demanding nature of their craft.
The teapot was taken out of China by the British in the 19th century and owned by Scottish aristocrat Hinton Daniell Stewart, the sixth Laird of Strathgarry. Stewart, who founded cotton merchants Stewart Thompson and Sons, had early links to China and collected several exceptional Chinese works of art. The teapot was displayed in London at the International Exhibition in 1871 and 1886 before being passed down through generations of the Stewart family. It was finally brought back to China after a Hong Kong-based collector purchased it in 2011.
A Masterpiece of Creation
A spokesperson for Sotheby's described the item as 'truly exceptional' and 'superbly articulated from pristine white stone of the most superlative quality.' They noted that it is 'undoubtedly the most flawless of any jade teapot or ewer in private hands' and a 'masterpiece of creation.'
The spokesperson added: 'A small number of other examples of comparable quality, created in the latter years of the Qianlong reign after the conquest of Xinjiang, have emerged on the international market over the years, but all demonstrate evidence of russet enhancements to the surface, deliberately created in the Imperial Palace Workshops to cover deficiencies in the stone. This is the only example that is intrinsically perfect, with no interruption to the flawless quality of the stone. It is a masterpiece of creation, embodying the highest standards achieved in the Imperial workshops in a golden age of Chinese civilisation at the height of its power and prosperity.'
