Molded Japanese export porcelain teapot, c. 1800.
 
Dimensions: Approximately 7” x 4¾”, including spout and handle.
 
Decoration:
The teapot is in the form of a tortoise with a long tail as a handle and a clam shell on its back as the knop of the lid.
 
The body is decorated with underglaze blue flowers on the segments of the tortoise’s shell.
 
The unglazed base is undecorated.
 
This form of tortoise is referred to in Japanese folklore as a “minogame; a mythical tortoise (“game”) that symbolizes longevity, wisdom, and good fortune. It is believed to live for 1,000 to 10,000 years. Its long tail is composed of seaweed and algae that forms on its shell and resembles a farmer's straw raincoat (“mino”). 
 
Like many Japanese zoomorphic teapots of this period, this teapot does not have an internal strainer at the base of its spout. This is because many animal- or figure-shaped teapots leaned more toward novelty, gift, or display ware, and their internal structure was often secondary to their external sculptural form. Instead, the spout has a jagged inner rim intended to catch the tea leaves.
 
References:
Barry Davis Oriental Art, “Ko-Imari Porcelain from the Collection of Oliver Impey”.
Impey, “Japanese Export Porcelain”.
Jorg, “Fine & Curious, Japanese Export Porcelain in Dutch Collections”.
MacGuire, “Four Centuries of Blue & White”.
P.L.J. Arts, “Japanese Porcelain”.
Reichel, “Early Japanese Porcelain”.
Shimura, “The History of Imari, The Symbols and Mysteries of Antique Japanese Porcelain”.
New Orleans Museum of Art, “Imari, Japanese Porcelain for European Palaces”.
The Kyushu Ceramic Museum, “Complete Catalog of Shibata Collection”.
The Saga Museum, “The John Coates’ Collection, A Collection of Early Arita Porcelain”, Third edition.
 
Condition: Glaze frit on one foot; otherwise in excellent condition consistent with age and usage. Please examine the photos; they are part of the description.