ANTIQUE JAPANESE BANKO TEAPOT MEIJI PERIOD POLYCHROME APPLIED SQUIRREL SIGNED

Description

What a fabulous piece of pottery this is!  The polychrome-applied glazed decoration over the gray clay includes a squirrel for the finial, and grapes and leaves around the bowl.  It still has the strainer.  Rim has a Greek-key incised design.   It is signed with an impressed oval mark.  The spout has no chips on the tip; there is one indentation on the underside and I cannot tell if it is an artist's missed spot or a sliver.  Dimensions are about 5.5" high and 7.5" wide including handle and spout.  There are a couple of tiny hairline cracks as a result of drying out, and they are only on the surface, simply the result of age.  The only  damage I could see was the chip on the squirrel finial.  There is still some gold trim on the spout and top rim.  (there is even a fingerprint on the base of the handle!)  Please examine all 12 photos carefully, and if you see something I failed to mention in the listing, feel free to contact me with your questions or comments.  Free shipping for U.S. buyers.
Bubble wrap and packing peanuts are used with all fragile items. The first 0 of insurance on Priority Mail is free for U.S. buyers in most cases. The purchase of additional insurance is the responsibility of the buyer and must be requested before payment is made.  There is NO handling fee for packing and shipping. Combined shipping on multiple auction items is always available. All items must be shipped within 24 hours of receipt of buyer's payment during business days to maintain "Expedited Shipping" status. Priority Mail must be the primary shipping option to maintain "Expedited Shipping" status. Packing supplies are from a smoke-free home, and recycled whenever possible. New York residents please add the appropriate tax rate for your jurisdiction. Any returned item must be in the same condition as when sold.
Many of the items listed by reading_teacherfossilhunts are consigned items; therefore, unsolicited offers lower than the asking price cannot be accepted.
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Thank you for bidding. Please take a look at other listings for reading_teacherfossilhunts, as well as my eBay Profile for contact information.