Very small teapot in brownish-red stoneware, perforated inside and with a loop handle. The Chinese inscriptions read (from top to bottom and from right to left): 'Jing Xi Zhi'. Jingxi is the alternative name of Yixing, Jiangsu Province, a place famous for producing earthenware teapots. 'Zhi' could mean 'purchase', thus the whole sentence means 'Purchased at Jingxi'. The characters are incised in 'kai' (regular) style on the base of pots with a bamboo knife. The style of the inscription suggests a date from the late Ming to early Qing period (early to mid 17th century) but the association with Walter Ralegh is unlikely.