Sunday, May 6, 2012

Sunday stills: Vinatge: My grandma's tea pot and my flower pot.

Sundays stills: Vintage

What’s “vintage” to you…….if you’re real young something that’s ten years old might seem like vintage to you……if your older….it might take something that’s fifty or a hundred years old to be considered a vintage item. Compose an interesting picture with whatever you choose 

 Note: This is a replica, not the real thing.


When my late paternal Grandma left China for Borneo 100  years ago, she brought two things. A marble coffee-shop style marble table and a Chinese tea pot with a paper mache cosy. She also brought a slave,. This slave was given to her by her parents to serve her in any way she liked. This was an era when the paternalistic Chinese society when males were superior to the useless girl.Grandma returned to China before the World War two.
When I visited my Grandpa, He always had his tea pot filled with black Chinese tea. It was kept warm by the paper mache. Grandpa married a second wife, so these items went to her.
That pot was very a valuable antique. When Grandpa was still alive, an antique dealer came round to houses of old people to scour for old things. He offered a good price for the tea pot, and the paper mache. The latter, the antique dealer had never seen. Grandpa refused to sell, no matter how good the offer was.
He told us, it was the only family heirloom that was worth anything. We teased him that he was an old romantic who could not give up the tea pot because it held so much memories for my late grandma.
My step grandma is turning 100. She doesn't use the pot anymore. No, it is too precious to use, just in case someone breaks it. She will talk about it though. The only precious thing she had inherited.

Whilst in Singapore,  I chanced upon this Chinese tea pot Tow Guan pottery at Jalan Bahar next to NTU. I was so excited, it was an exact replica of Grandma's tea pot. It  is the nearest I could get that was Grandma's. I bought three. Two for my older sisters and one for myself.
I emailed Rose and Elizabeth. Elizabeth has the same sentiments as me. She was delighted to have it. But Rose, she wanted only the real McCoy. I told her she might have to fight over that antique tea pot.

I have another pot which could be an antique. A friend gave it to me, and when people give you things, you don't ask it it is valuable. But I did make some queries from an antique collector in the uSA.


Ann,

From your photo and description it appears to be quite old and the lack of a
country of origin mark would indicate it could have been made in China or
Japan and not made for export or the country would be identified. The oldest
mark identifying China was around 1900, Japan 1921. Our book of "marks" does
not list a Pedder, and I can not find any other reference that looks
credible. I asked Wifey to look at your pictures also, but she does not
have any better clues to its origin. Sorry, I can't be of more help. One
suggestion, watch for an appraisal fair in your area, these events are
advertised in local papers.
Good Luck.
Dean

Subject: Re: Reply to Collectors Quest


Hi Dean,

I have no idea where it is made in. I have no idea how old it is.

It was given to me by a friend who left the country. It came in an old
tattered but looked originally good quality blue box, which I have thrown
away.

The word Pedder was "burnt" inside at around 1 inch under the rim.

The under the rim, and other markings are gold.

The pot is thin and very delicate.

The flower looks Chinese.

Thanks, and a belated New Year,

Ann
--- On Wed, 1/7/09, The Dean wrote:

From: The Dean
Subject: Reply to Collectors Quest
To: annkschin@yahoo.com
Date: Wednesday, January 7, 2009, 6:05 AM
Ann,
Thank you for reading my post on Collectors Quest. I
don't know if I can help you with your porcelain piece.
If the name is inside, is it a paper label? Was it made in
Hong Kong? Do you have any clue to its age?
And a big help would be if you can send a digital picture
to my email address.

Best Regards

The Dean
Staff Writer
dean-ferber@sbcglobal.net

Please continue to view and enjoy Collectors' Quest
www.collectorsquest.com


http://sundaystills.wordpress.com/

7 comments:

Gattina said...

Honnestly I am less interested in the teapot than in the story which goes with it ! That was real interesting !

Autumn Belle said...

I remember those teapot/teacup sets in a tea cosy that they used to have as wedding gifts of our parents or grandparents. Oh how I missed these.

Ensurai said...

Very interesting story. My grandfather and his three wives did not have a teapot between them but I am sure the last grandma had many precious things in her life time......jokes aside..I think your grandmother's tea pot is a real heirloom.

Terry and Linda said...

What an interesting story!!

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

Ebie said...

I love the touching story!

Rune said...

Fascinating! I sometimes call myself a materialist - and in my opinion, that is allmost the opposite of buying things just to throw them away after some time. Instead I allow myself to get attached to things, to matter, to substance, and especially to items that are connected to stories, to lived life, so to say.

Unknown said...

If you like drinking tea, or if you are interested of collecting. Maybe our Yixing Teapots will meet you demand. We have hundre styles of Teapots for your choice. The design, price are perfect! Worth you owning!