A SMALL YIXING GILT-METAL MOUNTED TEAPOT AND COVER QING DYNASTY, LATE 18TH / 19TH CENTURY

the teapot of compressed pear shape, the surface with a lustrous polish, the rim of the cover and finial mounted in gilt-metal, the base with an inscription reading Yongzheng er nian jiachen (Yongzheng second year jiachen cycle), followed by two seals Hui and Mengchen; together with two teacups of inverted bell shape with metal mounted rims (4)

Teapot: Warren Cox, New York.

There are small chips around the edge of the cover's lip. There is some light rubbing to the patina. The teapot appears to be in good condition. There are two additional stamped marks on the teapot under the handle reading Changji and Yihe. The metal rim on the teapot is loose.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Hui Mengchen was active from the late Ming into the early Qing period.

A similar teapot is illustrated in K.S. Lo, The Stoneware of Yixing from the Ming Period to the Present, Hong Kong, 1986, pl. XXV, p. 77, where the author states that small pear-shaped teapots with high gloss surfaces that bear inscriptions similar to the one found on the present lot were made by descendants of the potter between the late 18th and early 19th centuries.