Bronze Age Gold from Wales

Teapot and cover in blanc de chine hard-paste porcelain, the body barrel-shaped with inset base wiped free of glaze, the neck short and vertical with a flattened rim, simple oval loop handle, the spout short, angular and high on the body and mounted in silver gilt with a circular pierced metal filter to the interior, the cover slightly domed, with a high flange, the knop in the form of a flower with eight radiating leaves; the body with applied prunus sprigs at each side of the body, the silver gilt mount with a scalloped edge and stamped with rococo-style shell, flowers and scrolls.

This Chinese teapot is in a style that came to be known in Europe as 'blanc de chine'. It was widely imitated by British and Continental ceramic factories. The silver gilt mount at the tip of the spout is most probably European.