How many yixing teapots

Discover our Yixing pottery and ceramics including teapots, mugs, cups, tea pets and more. All made from Yixing zisha clay to improve your tea experience. Watch the video below to see how Yixing clay teapots are fully made by hand:. Yixing, also known as zisha, is a type of clay from Jiangsu province in China, commonly used to produce teaware such as: teapots, gaiwans, cups, mugs, tumblers and tea pets. How to pronounce Yixing? The name of this clay refers to the city of Yixing in the Southern part of Jiangsu province.

The highest skilled artists make a living by creating a small amount of teapots per week fully by hand to sell for a fortune, while some rely on machines to mass produce. Specialised tools of wood, bamboo, metal and horn, created through the centuries, are used during the process.

There are four main styles. The first style is geometric, such as the round lantern teapot shown below. The three other styles are naturalistic, such as the blue lotus leaf-form teapot shown below left, and the works by Zhou Dingfang and Lu Wenxia shown below right ; ribbed or segmented; and miniature teapots shuiping hu for drinking gongfu tea. The clay of Yixing is known collectively as zisha purple sand , and there are three basic types: zisha , a purplish-brown clay; banshanlu , a buff-coloured clay, and zhusha , a cinnabar or deep orange-red clay.

The last two are early 20th-century innovations resulting from the addition of cobalt oxide and manganese dioxide. Different coloured clays are used for all styles of teapots.

However, the miniature teapots made for gongfu tea are usually of orange-red or cinnabar zhusha. Jiang Rong worked in the naturalistic tradition, and is the most prominent among the Yixing artists offered in Contemporary Clay: Yixing Pottery from the Irving Collection March. She was the only woman among the Six Old Masters chosen to teach in the main factory when Yixing ware was revived in the s. Wang Yinxian , Xu Xiutang b. Xu Xiutang is foremost among the Yixing potters; Zhou Guizhen is noted for her traditional teapots and superb craftsmanship; Bao Zhongmei is famous for inlaying metal designs into his teapots.

Zhou Dingfang b. Chen Jingliang Ah Leon, b. Unlike the porcelain vessels of Jingdezhen, which pass through many hands, a Yixing teapot is made from beginning to end by one potter, and is stamped with his or her name. When a teapot is a collaborative work, such as those made by Lu Wenxia and Lu Jianxing , then more than one seal can be found. Yixing pottery is a craft, and women work in every type of craft in China. Unlike other crafts, Yixing ware bears the names of its makers, which means there is evidence of the number of women working in this field.

The foundational texture that a well seasoned teapot gives to a tea allows that tea to express its flavors with greater intensity than it could on its own. Of course, this is not a one way transaction. The tea pot does not just give to the tea. Every time you brew a tea in yixing, the porous nature of the clay absorbs some of the volatile aromatic oils and dissolved solids in the tea as it steeps.

Some of these oils and solids are released into the new tea from previous brewing sessions, while others absorb into the clay. This process seems like it would be a wash for flavor and texture, but in fact, yixing allows even a simple tea to take on greater complexity and depth.

Tea brewing in yixing gains the dimensionality of everything else brewed in the pot. This way, a very floral Wuyi oolong such as Qilan might take on light mineral or wood notes from previous brew sessions using Shui Xian , which in turn accents and compliments the floral notes. Most porous vessels are not additive; they are subtractive.

Porous surfaces trap volatile aromatic oils and reduce aroma in the final brew. This is why fine Jingdezhen porcelain is valued for its perfectly vitrified non-porous quality. Yixing is unique in reaching a saturation point in absorbing oils and retaining them; this allows the vessel to start giving back aroma to a brewed tea. Because yixing clay is so fine and dense in its porousness, it retains what it absorbs better than other ceramics can.

That is the reward for seasoning and raising an yixing tea pot over many months and years. In a well-seasoned tea pot, tea can retain almost as many aromatics as tea brewed in porcelain, but the same tea will also gain texture and flavor complexity. The last interesting power of yixing is that it is thick enough to retain heat , and is a relatively closed system when the lid is used. Higher steady heat and faster brews yield more extraction of aromatics. Lower heat and longer brews yield more texture and less aromatics.

The high heat and fast brew allowed in yixing means for more flavorful tea. The loss in texture is made up for by the texture imparted by the seasoned clay. With all the technical benefits and cultural weight that yixing brings to tea ceremony, we have found that it is truly a joy to incorporate these beautiful pieces into everyday use in the home. So how do you go about choosing one? There are several important factors to keep in mind when evaluating yixing clay teapots and considering how to choose ones that fit your needs.

In the end, it all comes down to quality of material and quality of craftsmanship. The specific type of clay, color, and even shape are secondary concerns to the inherent quality of the piece.

While it may be tempting to look out for a bargain to find an affordable entry point into yixing, modern cheap machine-made pieces have no value. Modern machine made yixing tea pots — especially those made for bulk import and tourist markets — use clay that has been mixed with paints, pigments and chemicals.

As fanciful as a design may be, or as affordable as the pot may appear, it is ultimately better to use a gaiwan or sip from a mug full of leaves than to risk using a low-quality yixing teapot. Because the pots are unglazed, any chemicals in the paint or clay used can seep into your tea and create potential health risks. The machine-made teapots are made from clay that is usually far too light and porous for any kind of retention of oils or flavor, meaning that at best they steal the aroma of your tea without giving back, while at worst they leach hazardous chemicals into your tea.

These pieces are easily spotted in Chinatowns, bargain shops, and uninformed and unscrupulous online retailers across the country. How can you tell if you are getting a real yixing teapot or an imitation? Price is one indicator. Still, sometimes prices are over-inflated , skewing this indicator. Antiques can be even more, with sought after pieces from grand masters selling at auction for millions. Look for certificates when buying teapots, as chops and seals are sometimes copied, but certificates with signatures are harder to imitate and point towards greater chance of authenticity.

Lines from casting can sometimes be spotted inside or outside a machine made teapot where the two halves are joined together. The lids on machine made pieces almost never fit perfectly. They either rattle around, or make a grinding noise when turned from sanding done after the firing process to compensate for manufacturing errors.

A fully hand made yixing teapot never has casting lines because they are hand-formed, not cast from a mold. While lid fits can vary by artist and skill level, it is most satisfying to use a piece whose lid has a naturally-perfect fit, as this creates the best seal during brewing and pouring. The clay in a modern machine-made teapot can often be excessively shiny or painted , and has no depth or luster to it.

The quality of clay is the single most important factor at the end of the day. Even a machine made piece can be an asset to the tea it brewed if the clay used was high quality, as was the case with some antique factory pots from the twentieth century. Good clay has a tactile pleasure to its smoothness — natural, dappled and soft, but not perfectly smooth.

The clay should not be one-dimensional; instead, there should be a depth and subtle natural variation that shows that the pot is ready to absorb tea oils. The pot should not be painted. Instead, teapots with color patterns should come from the natural color of multiple clays used. Paint can wear off over time, but clay does not. There should not be a glazed or polished shine to a new teapot. While buffing can yield some natural shine, especially in zhuni clay and dicaoqingni , the shine should not look artificial.

At the end of the day, it is best to f ind a source you can trust , and to guard against deals that are too good to be true.

A well-made yixing teapot is an investment — something that you should enjoy using enough to brew with it every day. It is also something that can be passed on for generations. Meticulous craft and clean, natural clay will honor the tea you brew for years to come.

The lotus-isnpired tea pot above from artist Lai Xiaohong uses clays with naturally different colors to create beautiful and natural swirling color patterns.

This zi ni pot from Gao Guiqin has a natural lustrous shine. Yixing teapots are like fantastic pet rocks. They grow and accompany you at every tea session, and look a little happier and shinier after each use. Caring for your yixing is relatively simple. Never wash the teapot with anything except water, never scratch the pot with metal utensils, and make sure to empty the teapot of leaves after brewing, followed by a rinse with boiling water.

Leave the lid off the pot until it completely dries, and wipe away any drip marks with a damp cloth between uses. Following this simple regimen will assure that your teapot becomes more lustrous and beautiful over time. To season a yixing teapot for the first time, bring a very clean pot of filtered water to boil.

Make sure there are no oils or aromas on the pot or on any utensils used. If you have a wire ladle, you can rest the teapot in the ladle to boil it. Otherwise, put a clean washcloth whose color will not run on the bottom of the pot and gently lower the teapot into the water using wooden spoons, tongs or chopsticks.

Boil gently for about ten minutes, then carefully remove the teapot and allow to dry fully. Next, brew a strong infusion of tea in your new teapot, and continue with more steepings until you fill a bowl high enough to submerge your teapot. Remove tea leaves from the teapot and soak in tea until the water is cool. Remove the teapot and allow to dry. Wow, that is beautifully written, Lily! The photos are also superb. Altogether an enjoyable and very informative article! Thank you, Elisabeth - we're so glad you enjoyed reading this!

I am also happy to know that the photos we picked out helped make the article even more interesting. Do you have the knowledge to help me? I could send you pictures of it..

Hi Fabricio - you are welcome to send photos, but it is often difficult to tell without looking at a pot in person! If you are interested in figuring out the value of your pot to sell or auction, we may be able to connect and research that for you with our friends and collectors in China. But if you plan to use the pot and keep it for yourself, it is hard to say! No matter waht you decide, I hope you will enjoy using your pot. Hello great article, do you happen to know where I can find out if I have a valuable piece or not?