1970s Yixing Teapot Chinese Unglazed With Bamboo Motif Handmade Zisha Clay Artist Signed

Details

Description

This is teapot fit for a tea nerd. Beautifully handcrafted with a natural unglazed purple clay called zisha clay, this … Read more This is teapot fit for a tea nerd. Beautifully handcrafted with a natural unglazed purple clay called zisha clay, this Yixing teapot should only be used for one type of tea. The square-shaped mark on the bottom of the pot is the "master's mark" and the rectangular mark under the lid is the signature of the artisan who created the pot. Learn more about the rich heritage of Yixing below.

Measurements:

7" w 4.5" d 3.75" t

Condition:

Great condition. Normal wear for its age. This unglazed pot appears to have minimal scratches, dings or damage. Please review all the photos.

Background on Yixing teapots:

Yixing teapots became a favorite of the Chinese intellectual class for their naturalism in both material and form. The distinctive reddish stoneware teapots came to be considered the best for brewing tea.

The Yizing hills are filled with rich clay deposits and the center of pottery-making is located around the towns of Dingshan and Shushan, where dragon jars, roof tiles and porcelain are also made. The term Yixing-ware has come to refer to teapots.

There are three clay’s of Yixing collectively known as zisha (purple sand) a purple brown clay, a buff-coloured clay and a deep orange-red clay.

The Yixing teapots are used for a variety of teas, but one must use the teapot for one kind of tea only as the teapot absorbs a tiny amount of the tea’s flavor during brewing and after long usage the pot will develop a coating that retains that flavor, and also the color of the tea. For this reason soap should not be used to clean your Yixing teapot. Instead it should be rinsed with fresh water and allowed to air dry. Today the most expensive teapots are shaped by hand using wooden and bamboo tools to manipulate the clay, while the cheaper ones are produced by slip-casting.

Adapted from Irv Graham, chineseantiques.co.uk See less