Description Three Zisha teapots in varied shapes and colors. A small Heng Yun teapot features Chinese calligraphy on one side and has a paper tag on bottom reading "Made in Taiwan." A Tan Duan Ni teapot has a deeply imprinted seal on bottom of pot. A bamboo Heng Yun teapot has a poem on the exterior of pot and a seal on base and lid interior. Dimensions are: Bamboo pot: 3 5/8 inches tall X 4 1/8 inches diameter; 9.2 cm tall X 10.5 cm diameter. Heng Yun teapot: 3 1/8 inches tall X 3 3/4 inches diameter; 7.9 cm tall X 9.5 cm diameter. All measurements are approximate.
Condition Report Tan teapot missing lid. Lid on brown teapot has a hairline crack. No noted damage on orange teapot.
Provenance From the old collection of Mr. William Wu, San Francisco, USA. William Wu (1939-2007) was born in Shanghai and moved to Hong Kong with his family when he was young. In 1957, he was admitted to the Department of Philosophy at Princeton University. Because of his interest in history, in 1979 he received a doctorate in art history from Princeton University focusing on the Chinese artist Gong Xian. After graduation, he was successively employed as a professor of art history at Dartmouth, Oberlin, and other colleges. He later settled in San Francisco, California, where he presided over the Chinese Cultural Center, held regular cultural exhibitions, and devoted himself to introducing Chinese culture and artists to Western audiences. During the 1980s, he traveled between San Francisco and Shanghai and became an important bridge for cultural and artistic exchanges. Professor William Wu and the famous movie star Jet Li are distant relatives, and he was a great help in the early years of Jet Li's career development. Mr. Wu maintained contact with Jet Li during his life.