In the more than four hundred years since the advent of purple clay teapots, they have always been the preferred choice for brewing Tea among tea lovers. Not only do purple clay teapots possess practicality and craftsmanship, making them suitable for carrying around, but they also hold significant aesthetic and collection value, deserving exploration and ownership by every lover of teapots and tea.

To understand purple clay teapots, one must start with the clay material. The colors of the clay include yellow, green, red, purple, and black, often referred to as the five-colored earth. It is these clays that shape the body of the teapot, allowing us to see various beautifully shaped purple clay teapots. From the body, handle, spout, lid, and water outlet, to inscriptions and engravings, we begin to carefully touch these beautiful teapots.

Through observation and touch, one can feel the craftsmanship of each purple clay teapot. There are differences between fully handmade teapots, semi-handmade teapots, and machine-made teapots. In a semi-handmade teapot, everything except the body is crafted by hand.

At the junction where the body meets the handle, there is an invisible mark, which is also a way to distinguish between fully handmade and semi-handmade teapots. Sometimes it is indeed difficult to discern with the naked eye, and in such cases, gentle touching and a careful feeling of the smooth bulge inside the body can reveal even the subtlest changes. Perhaps the true and complete understanding of a purple clay teapot comes through the tactile sensation transmitted from the fingers to the entire body.

Traditional Classification of Purple Clay Teapot Shapes

Traditionally, there is a set of classification standards within the industry for purple clay teapots, which essentially categorizes their shapes. They are divided into three major categories: floral goods, glossy goods, and ribbed goods.

· Floral Goods

Also known as sculptural pieces, these are primarily made using carving techniques. There are three types of shapes: the first type imitates plant forms, such as bamboo segment teapots, plum segment teapots, and pine segment teapots; the second type imitates fruit shapes, like pumpkin teapots and lotus-shaped teapots; the third type imitates animal forms, such as dragon fish teapots and phoenix teapots. The beauty of floral goods lies in their ingenious shapes, colors, and craftsmanship. From the novelty and symbolism of the shapes to the color language of the purple clay, enhancing the realistic effect, to the use of pinching, molding, and engraving techniques, they depict objects vividly, allowing users to experience the beauty of craftsmanship when brewing tea.

· Glossy Goods

All purple clay teapots with geometric bodies and smooth surfaces are called glossy goods. They are divided into two major categories: round and square.

Round teapots have cross-sectional shapes that are round or oval, emphasizing balance and proportion, smooth transitions, and a lively, soft aesthetic. The beauty of round teapots is characterized by the words “roundness,” “stability,” “uniformity,” and “correctness.” This includes the rounded and smooth appearance of the shape, the sense of stability when placed, the balanced placement, and the uniform proportions between different parts of the teapot, as well as the strict and upright structure.

Square teapots have cross-sectional shapes that are square, hexagonal, octagonal, etc., emphasizing straight lines and flat surfaces, clear outlines, and a brisk and elegant masculinity. The beauty of square teapots is reflected in clear contours, stability, and the harmony between different components and the overall shape of the teapot.

· Ribbed Goods

Also known as ribbed ware, this is a term used by purple clay artisans. These shapes are inspired by the ribs of gourds, petals, and cloud patterns seen in life. They refer to similar curved surfaces like gourd ribs and Chrysanthemum petals as “ribs” and use these ribs as units to construct the shape of the teapot, ensuring that the exterior and interior are consistent. The mouth, lid, spout, bottom, and handle must all be made into ribbed shapes, harmonizing with the texture of the body.

This results in an incredibly precise technique, embodying a mathematical delicacy and order. Common ribbed ware shapes in modern times include hexagonal teapots and abundant chrysanthemum teapots.

Relationship Between Tea and Teapot

When holding a purple clay teapot, how should one describe it?

In sequence, it can be divided into clay material, shape, form, capacity, appreciation of workmanship, and finally, the maker's reputation.

Relationship Between Clay Material and Tea Infusion

· Yellow clay is suitable for brewing: yellow tea, raw Pu-erh up to five years old, and White Tea up to seven years old.

· Green clay is suitable for brewing: green tea, southern Fujian Oolong, and Taiwanese oolong.

· Red clay is suitable for brewing: black tea, ripe Pu-erh, raw Pu-erh over five years old, northern Fujian oolong, and Guangdong oolong.

· Purple and black clays are suitable for brewing: dark tea series.

Large-leaf teas: fragrant and full-bodied. The bitterness and astringency of large-leaf teas are best mitigated using old segment clay, clear gray segment clay, and half mountain green purple clay teapots, which can weaken alkaloids and polyphenols.

Small-leaf teas: fresh and delicate, sensitive to stewed flavors (with sour and astringent tastes). Taking green tea as an example of small-leaf tea, it is suitable for original mountain green and gold segment clay purple clay teapots, which do not easily overpower the amino acids in the tea leaves.

Shape of the Teapot

A small opening and a large belly are conducive to fragrance accumulation and the expansion of large-leaf teas.

A large opening facilitates heat dissipation.

Water Capacity

A single-person teapot suits: 60cc, 80cc

A two-person teapot suits: 100cc, 120cc

A four-person teapot suits: 150cc, 180cc

A six-person teapot suits: 200cc, 230cc

For example, when brewing Jinggu large white tea for two people, select a teapot.

Since my partner and I drink Jinggu large white tea at home, I chose a 100cc old segment clay Dehua teapot. Firstly, I like the shape of this teapot and find the harmony between the color of the white tea infusion and the color of the teapot appealing.

Secondly, because the large white tea from Yunnan has a large leaf size and is four years old, it still contains some bitterness and astringency. Brewing with an old segment clay teapot can improve the bitterness and astringency of the large-leaf tea, allowing the sweetness and mellow flavor of the large white tea to be showcased as much as possible. Lastly, the rounded body of the Dehua teapot provides ample room for the large-leaf tea to expand. The only downside is that the opening is slightly larger, which is not ideal for fragrance accumulation.

Preparing a Purple Clay Teapot

Preparing a teapot is actually very simple, with minimal human intervention being preferable.

1. Prepare a pot for boiling water that has not been contaminated with oil, smoke, or other odors. Add cold water to cover the teapot and heat until boiling for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it cool in a shaded area. This step is intended to remove any earthy flavors.

2. Place the tea you wish to Brew in the teapot and follow the normal process of brewing. Fill the first infusion with water and let the tea steep in the teapot for 2-3 days (under normal temperatures and without the tea infusion developing any odd flavors). After three days, pour out all the water and rinse the teapot with high-temperature boiling water, letting the tea infusion flow naturally. The preparation of the teapot is now complete.

Important Matters for Daily Maintenance of Purple Clay Teapots

1. Use each teapot exclusively for one type of tea.