Jingdezhen Famille Noire Teapot (Hand-Enameled Multicolor Millefleur), Circa 1970s 🇨🇳🌸⚫️

This is a fact-verified piece of Chinese porcelain from Jingdezhen, the ancient porcelain capital of the world.

The object is a top-shelf decorative collectible in the striking Famille Noire (black ground) style, appealing to collectors who value maximalist aesthetics and documented cultural heritage.

Its valuation is grounded in its clear Jingdezhen factory stamp, the complexity of the hand-enameled Millefleur pattern, and its function as an authentic artifact of Chinese post-war export artistry.

2. About the Object 📖✍️✨ The teapot is constructed from fine white porcelain that has been almost entirely covered in a rich, highly glossy black enamel glaze. The surface is densely painted with a vibrant, multicolored floral pattern known as Millefleur ("a thousand flowers").

The decoration is executed using overglaze polychrome enamels, a technique perfected in the Imperial kilns, which results in a bold, three-dimensional texture. Dominant among the flowers are large pink peonies, a classic Chinese motif symbolizing beauty, high honor, and wealth. This dramatic contrast between the intense, bright colors and the deep black ground is the defining feature of the Famille Noire style.

3. About the Maker/Origin ✍️🏛️ This teapot was produced in Jingdezhen, China, a city with a 1,000-year legacy of porcelain production and the historical site of the Imperial Kilns. The factory mark confirms its origin and lineage.

For centuries, Jingdezhen was renowned for creating porcelain for the Emperor and the royal court, leading to the development of specialized techniques that are still utilized today. This piece is a product of the mid-20th-century consolidation of Jingdezhen's numerous private factories, and it continues the cultural legacy that led to the description of its ceramics as "as thin as paper, as white as jade". It is a documented link to one of the most prestigious ceramic traditions in global history.

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜 This teapot was manufactured during the Mid-to-Late 20th Century, likely 1960s–1980s, a critical time for Chinese industrial arts.

The export of such highly decorative porcelain, explicitly marked MADE IN CHINA, was essential for the nation's engagement with the global economy. This particular Millefleur Noir style was produced in high volume to meet strong Western demand for traditional Chinese decorative accents. The piece represents the successful preservation of intricate cultural techniques (like overglaze enameling) within the modern industrial framework of post-war China. It stands as a cultural record of the period's commercial link between traditional Chinese artistry and global consumerism.

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️ This piece is an essential acquisition for a curator focused on 20th-Century Chinese Export Porcelain and the Famille Noire aesthetic.

It is ideally suited for a buyer who appreciates the maximally decorative impact of the Millefleur pattern and who collects artifacts with clear Jingdezhen factory documentation. The collector for this item understands the historical significance of the "Porcelain Capital" and is seeking a visually arresting piece to anchor a sophisticated, globally-sourced decorative environment.

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️ This decorative porcelain teapot is approximately 45 to 65 years old, having survived decades as a prized display piece.

Its Bibliographical Scarcity is moderate, as this pattern was a popular export line, but its value is sustained by its Aesthetic Premium—the complexity of the hand-enameled decoration. The clear Jingdezhen mark provides the verifiable factory pedigree required to justify a premium valuation. Its worth is derived from its status as a visually complete and authenticated example of one of the most recognizable styles in Chinese export art.

7. Condition 🔎📚✨ The physical condition has been assessed directly from the provided high-resolution photography. The object is deemed to be in Good Vintage Condition, with notable cosmetic imperfections consistent with its age and use.

• Maker's Mark: The red-stamped Jingdezhen mark is clear and fully legible, which is a key positive for verification.

• Color Integrity: The multicolor enamel is vibrant and shows no significant fading.

• Structural Integrity: The body, spout, and handle appear to be free of major chips or cracks.

• Surface Abrasion: A noticeable scratch/abrasion is visible on the black enamel on the body, exposing the white porcelain underneath .

• Crazing is Present: A network of fine, age-related crazing lines are visible on the surface glaze, which is a material defect and is reflected in the final valuation.

8. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

• Millefleur: The term Millefleur means "a thousand flowers" and describes the practice of covering the surface of a ceramic with a dense, interlocking pattern of diverse flower blossoms, leaving little to no background visible.

• Peony Symbolism: The prominent pink peony (Mudancao) on the body is known as the "King of Flowers" and is a powerful Chinese symbol of prosperity, beauty, and female allure.

• Jingdezhen's Clay: The city's success as the porcelain capital was due to the local abundance of kaolin clay and "petuntse" china stone, which when combined, produced an exceptionally fine, strong, and translucent porcelain.

• The Black Ground: The Famille Noire or black-ground technique was historically a rare and highly prized finish in Chinese ceramics, often requiring specialized glazes to achieve the deep, glossy black enamel.

9. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰

• Object Type: Porcelain Teapot (Famille Noire / Millefleur)

• Maker: Jingdezhen Porcelain Factory (Marked N Factory Code)

• Year/Period: Circa 1970s (Mid-to-Late 20th Century)

• Place of Origin: Jingdezhen, China

• Materials: Porcelain, Black Enamel Glaze, Overglaze Polychrome Enamels

• Dimensions (Approximate, based on photo scale): 7 inches long (spout to handle) x 5.5 inches tall (to finial)

• Maker's Mark Transcription (Printed on Base): 中國景德鎮 MADE IN CHINA N