A PEWTER-MOUNTED YIXING STONEWARE 'PRUNUS' TEAPOT AND COVER BY YANG PENGNIAN, INSCRIBED BY LIN BAOZHENG, QING DYNASTY, DAOGUANG PERIOD, DATED TO THE DINGHAI YEAR (IN ACCORDANCE WITH 1827)

the vessel of crescent shape and encased in pewter, set with a pewter cover of corresponding crescent form with an arched celadon jade handle, the inside of the clayware pot bearing a seal impression in the positive of the maker's mark, Yang Pengnian zhi, the mounted wood handle with silver-wire inlay reading Ruya tang jianzhi ('made under supervision at Lodged Elegance Hall'), one of the sides with a flowering prunus branch, the other side engraved with a poem and dated to winter of the dinghai year in accordance with 1827, signed with the artist's sobriquet, Xiaotong

The teapot and cover are in overall good condition, with only some expected tarnishing, minor stains, surface scratches and occasional dents to the extremities.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The inscription can be translated as such:

Pour it even when no wine remains,
You can still rely on it for the taste.
For under the blossoms there on this pot,
It’s momentarily there to enjoy.

Another pewter-mounted teapot by Yang Pengnian, similar engraved with flowering prunus and inscribed by Zhu Jian, is illustrated by K.S. Lo, The Stonewares of Yixing : from the Ming period to the present day, Hong Kong, 1986, pl. 40, and discussed, pp. 213-5, where the author notes that the practice of encasing Yixing teapots in pewter coverings is said to have been developed by the scholar Zhu Jian, who was active in the Jiaqing/Daoguang period and a key figure in reviving interest in Yixing among the literati. The detail on the current teapot that the fabrication was supervised at the “Lodged Elegance Hall” demonstrates that it met the highest standard for Daoguang-era pewter teapots. 

Xiaotong was the sobriquet of Lin Baozeng, personal name Peiju, a native of Fujian and a close associate of Chen Mansheng. A seal of Baozeng in the Shanghai Museum carved by Chen Mansheng, and another in the Nanjing Museum, inscribed xunli zhi sun ('grandson of an upright official'), are recorded in Shu hua yin hu [Calligraphy, painting, seal-carving, and teapot design].