How to make Yixing Teapot
This is compilation materials form internet to do handmade Yixing Teapot with clay some similar to Purple Clay Zisha.
About
This is compilation materials form internet to do handmade Yixing Teapot with clay some similar to Purple Clay Zisha.
I am fascinating qiyun this handmade piece of art.
Chinese Teapots – Manufacture And Clay
Unlike Western pottery-making techniques where “earth-clays” are turned on a wheel, the more rigid quality of Zisha clay enables the component parts of a teapot to be made in advance and then assembled piece by piece. There are 3 types of manufacture:
- Handmade
Teapots shapes
- Half-handmade
- Moulded
Handmade teapots are formed into shape by an artist who hand-cuts pieces and assembles them into shape using traditional tools such as wooden picks and paddles. In preparing Zisha the clay to make the various parts of a handmade teapot, it is folded many times, somewhat like in the manufacture of Japanese katana (samurai swords). This folding strengthens the clay and creates micro channels of air pockets in the clay which allows air to move in both directions through the teapot. This “dual-porosity” characteristic is thought to provide additional oxygen to the tea while brewing and as wine drinkers know, oxygen intensifies flavour.
Half-handmade is the assembly of machine-moulded pieces by hand with traditional tools. Many good teapots using Zisha clay are made in this way.
Moulded teapots are made by a mass-production process of assembling pre-moulded pieces by machine, such as the two halves of the teapot and lid and attaching a pre-moulded spout and handle. Even though moulded teapots are not as valuable as handmade or half-handmade teapots, many are made with Yixing clay and are still superior for tea-making than glazed or porcelain teapots.
There is a certain pride in owning a handmade teapot, especially if it is made by a famous artist. The making of teapots is a highly skilled art and some Zisha teapots from famous artists are collectors’ items and fetch very high prices, especially if from the 1980’s or 1950’s or even from the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1912). Antique teapots are prized because no two are alike, with each one having a unique history, patina, “taste” and “personality”. Knowing antiques requires highly specialized knowledge so only deal with an expert you can trust.
Clay
Yixing (Yee-zhing) clay is the famous clay from the Yixing region of Jiangsu Province in Central China from which the finest teapots have been made for centuries. There are many types of Yixing clay but they can be categorized into two grades of quality:
- “Earth-clay” made from mud
- “Stone-clay” made from rock
“Earth-clay” is typically used to make mid-grade quality teapots which are widely available in many designs at affordable prices. The superior “stone-clay” is known as Zisha or “Purple Clay” (even though the colour of the clay may not necessarily be purple).
The unique granular structure and mineral composition of Zisha clay gives it excellent heat handling properties that are excellent for maintaining a stable temperature in the teapot, thereby mitigating temperature fluctuations which can diminish the flavour of tea.
The mineral and metal content of Zisha includes iron oxide, kaolinite, quartz and mica, making teapots very strong when fired and resistant to damage compared to more delicate Western pottery. High quality Yixing clay is 3-6 times less absorbent than other clays which helps teapots to retain the fragrance of teas.
Chart: Quality of Yixing Clay
Quality of Clay
Clays are often mixed together and there are an infinite variety of combinations. There are 3 basic types of clay:
- Natural (also called Original in Chinese)
- Mixed (Pingni)
- “Artificial”
Types of excavated Zisha teaposts
When clays are mixed, they are called Pingni. Natural Zisha clays are often mixed together to make traditional and new colours. Natural and artificial colours can be mixed or overlayed with each other in various designs. All too often however, a small quantity of Yixing earth-clay or even Zisha is added to a lower grade non-Yixing clay and the teapot is then sold as a “Yixing Teapot”. While technically correct, this can be mis-leading.
“Artificial” clay (including Yixing and non-Yixing clay) is usually low quality clay that has been coloured with artificial dyes, often duplicating natural Zisha colours. These teapots will not perform as well as a Zisha teapot and not look as nice over time as the colour will fade compared to teapots made from Zisha clays which retain their natural colour.
Colour of Clay
Assessing the quality of a teapot by the colour of the clay is a highly specialized skill and the source of much debate among experts. Here’s a few guidelines to help you understand how clay is used in Chinese teapots.
The natural colour of Yixing “earth-clay” is white. Zisha clay comes in a variety of natural colours, of which the most prized are:
- Red (Hongni)
- Purple (Zhini)
- Green (Luni) – usually mixed with other clays or overlayed
Chart: Colours of Zisha Clay
The Sound of a Teapot
High-fired teapots have a clear and distinct ring like a small bell when you lift up the lid about a quarter of an inch and allow it to drop gently on to the teapot (make sure you are holding the teapot on the flat of your hand so as to not dampen the teapot in any way).
Teapots used for Black and Pu-Erh Tea are thick and made from a more porous clay than other teapots and don’t have the distinctive bright ringing sound – but this has nothing to do with the quality. These types of teapots are selected by an examination of the clay which usually has a rougher texture than teapots used for other teas.
Older teapots have a distinctive patina from the infusion of tea oils and constant use which can dull the pitch. New teapots have a similar shine from a wax coating which protects the clay and makes them look nice on the shelf. (see how to remove this coating below in Seasoning A New Teapot below)
Antique teapots have a history (verifiable or not) and have been infused with tea oils over many years. They can produce a decided “thunk” rather than a clear ring because of the accumulation of oils in the clay but can still be of the finest quality. But remember, you are in the antique game now so buyer beware!
Chart: Firing Type
New high quality, high-fired teapots have a clear and distinct ring like a little bell when you lift up the lid about a quarter of an inch and allow it to drop gently on to the teapot (make sure you are holding the teapot on the flat of your hand so it is not damping the teapot in any way). In most cases, the higher the pitch and the longer the ring, the finer the quality.
Teapots used for Black and Pu-Erh Tea are thicker and made from a more porous clay than other teapots and don’t have the distinctive bright ringing sound – but this has nothing to do with the quality. These types of teapots are selected by an examination of the clay which usually has a rougher texture than teapots used for other teas.
Older teapots have a distinctive patina from the infusion of tea oils and constant use which can dull the pitch. Many new teapots have a similar shine from a wax coating that is applied to protect the clay and make them look nice on the shelf. (see how to remove this coating below).
Antique teapots have a history (verifiable or not) and have been infused with tea oils over many years. They can produce a decided “thunk” rather than a clear ring because of the accumulation of oils in the clay but can still be of the finest quality. But remember, you are in the antique game now so buyer beware!
Example Teapot
Colour: Brown
Period: 19th century to early 20th century
Marks: No
Size: L: 9.7 cm, W: 6.9 cm, H: 6.8 cm
Capacity: 140 ml (4.7 oz)
Spout: Single hole
Density(least 1 – most 10): 6.5
Suggested Teas: Aged oolong tea, ripe pu-erh, aged raw puerh or aged white tea
Condition: In good condition with some minor age related imperfection to body. Lip slight loose.
Some chart about teapots and pottery
Videos how to make Teapot
The process flow of the whole handmade purple clay teapot is explained in detail
What is the name of the lump of mud on the zisha artist’s clay stool? what is it used for?
Hand-made pots generally use the method of punching the body. First, the mud is beaten with a tap to form a uniform thickness of mud. The thickness of the mud is determined by the size of the teapot, generally about three millimeters. Then according to the designed diameter of the teapot, add the shrinkage coefficient during firing, multiply the pi, add the margin of the joints at both ends and the height of the body tube, cut the mud piece into rectangular mud strips.
The mud strips are formed into a cylinder on the turntable, the two ends are superimposed, and the squid knife is used to cut them at the superimposed position at an angle to form a joint that can be connected well. “Adhesive.
Zimu is a thick mud mixed with the same mud and water, which acts somewhat like the plaster used by masons to build brick walls. After sticking, make a mark on the sticking place, remember this position, and save it for later installation of the pot handle. This can cover up the traces that may appear after the interface is fired.
Nourishing mud, also known as fat mud, is used to bond the various parts of the purple clay pot (the handle, the spout, the body, the body, etc.) .
Zimu must be used at the link of a pot
Zimu refers to the paste-like purple sand mud. It is made by first smashing the mud into thin slices and drying it, then breaking some of it, putting it in a clear water basin, and waiting for the dry mud to absorb water naturally. The ratio of water and mud should be mastered by the experience of the craftsman, and the dry mud should not be stirred immediately after being put into the water.
No matter whether it is fully manual or semi-manual, applying the clay is an unavoidable step, and it also represents the production process of the purple clay pot. For example, hand-drawn blanks or grouting pots are used less or not at all.
But it is still a little difficult to judge whether it is manual, because it will be treated with clear needles, and the borders are well treated.
In addition, for example, there are cracks at the junction between the bottom of the pot and the body, and the parts such as the handle and the body of the pot are cracked, etc. These are all due to the improper production of the grease mud.
Nourishing mud is very important in the production process of Zisha teapot. It is not only for sticking the parts, but also has many applications in modeling.
Nourishing mud is very important in the molding of Zisha teapot. Controlling the dosage, smearing evenly, and manipulation, etc. will affect the final molding. A good Zisha craftsman must be very good at handling mud.
References
- https://thechineseteashop.com/pages/teapots-manufacture-and-clay
- Amies, Alex. Decorative designs in Chinese art. p. 30. ISBN 978-0-9833348-0-4.
- The Stonewares of Yixing: From the Ming Period to the Present Day
- https://www.amazon.com/Yixing-zisha-cidian-Purple-Dictionary/dp/9570499052/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2U78X8O1N5A6&keywords=Yixing+Zisha&qid=1653233424&s=books&sprefix=yixing+zisha%2Cstripbooks-intl-ship%2C169&sr=1-5
- https://www.amazon.com/Reading-Yixing-Classic-Forbidden-Chinese/dp/7513403554
- The process flow of the whole handmade purple clay teapot is explained in detail
