Lim Chong Beng, Untitled (Teapot with Perforated Crest Handle), c. 1990s

Stoneware
29 x 25 x 11.5 cm
Condition: Very good

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Lim Chong Beng (Singaporean, b. 1938) was a painter before he took up pottery, which would perhaps explain why he finds greater satisfaction in decorating a teapot than building one. He finds the limitation imposed by functionality frustrating. Most of his teapots retain conventional shapes but he rings the changes by giving them fanciful handles. He brings his creative instinct into full play when it comes time to decorate his teapots. Lim delights in hand-painting designs with the brush using coloured slip, which is more like painting. Lovingly, stroke by stroke, he builds up his star or leaf-shaped motif, achieving a rich, mottled effect which satisfies his craving for a strong textured surface. 

This piece was acquired from “Teawares by 14 Potters,” an exhibition in 1993 presented by Studio 106 and held at the National Museum Art Gallery on Stamford Road. Studio 106 was a collective led by pioneering ceramicist and artist Ng Eng Teng.

(Photographed in April 2025)