Gongchun pot

Form#

Body

On C81.393 the rounded belly has small hollows and raised knots.^{No. 61 · p. 174 · PDF 178}

Spout

A short spout rises from the shoulder.

Handle

The rounded loop handle carries the same rough texture as the body.

Lid

A low, unevenly modelled cover sits on the shoulder.

Working volume#

Use the volume to the intended fill level, rather than the exterior dimensions or shape name. Leave room for the leaves and lid, and choose cups or a serving pitcher that can receive a complete infusion. Two pots of the same named form may have very different working capacities.

Variants and sub-types#

On the Hong Kong pot C81.393 the rough, knotted surface continues onto the handle. The catalogue calls it a nineteenth-century interpretation of the Gongchun form and records two names, the seal 玉麟 (Yulin) and the cut inscription 供春 (Gongchun). The latter names the older model evoked by this pot. The catalogue dates this example to the second half of the nineteenth century.^{No. 61 · p. 174 · PDF 178}

Huang Yulin

History#

Accounts of Gongchun’s early activity and the later history of pots bearing his name should be kept separate. A surviving pot’s inscription, replacement lid and chain of ownership need object-specific documentation; they do not by themselves establish the original maker.

Related#