There are many stories involving celebrities that are well-known in the world of purple clay Teapots, among which the most famous is undoubtedly the “Dongpo Tiliang Teapot.”
The image above is of the “Dongpo Tiliang Teapot.” It is said that during the Song Dynasty, the scholar Su Dongpo was out of favor in his later years and resigned from his official position to move to Mount Shu. He settled in Phoenix Village at the foot of Mount Shu. He loved Tea and was very particular about it. This place produced the renowned “Tang Gong Tea,” had the Jade Maiden Pool and Jinsha Spring water, and also the highly sought-after purple clay teapots. With these three elements, Su Dongpo found Drinking Tea and composing poetry to be more pleasant than serving as an official in the capital. However, he still felt that one thing was not quite perfect. What was it? It was that all Yixing purple clay teapots were too small. What could he do? Su Dongpo thought: Why don't I make a large teapot according to my own preferences? Yes, I'll make my own teapot for my own use! He asked his young servant to buy some high-quality Tianqing clay and several necessary tools, and then he started working. However, what seemed easy turned out to be difficult, and after several months, he was still at a loss.
One night, the young servant brought night snacks with a lantern. As Su Dongpo held the snack in his hand, his eyes kept turning towards the lantern. He thought: Why don't I make a teapot based on the shape of the lantern? After eating the snack, he started working immediately and continued until dawn. When the rough shell was completed, problems arose: because the clay was soft, the shoulders of the teapot kept collapsing. Su Dongpo came up with a simple solution – he cut several pieces of bamboo to support the inside of the lantern-shaped teapot body, and once the clay hardened, he removed the bamboo.
The lantern-shaped teapot was large and smooth, making it difficult to handle, so a handle was needed. Su Dongpo considered: This Purple Clay Teapot is for boiling tea, and if I attach the handle to the side like other teapots, it would become blackened by the fire and be hot to the touch. What could he do? After much thought, he looked up and saw the large beam spanning from one end of the roof to the other, supported by wooden pillars at both ends. Inspiration struck, and he quickly set to work to make the teapot in the style of the roof beam. After several months of meticulous work and refinement, the teapot was completed. Su Dongpo was very satisfied with it and named it the “Tiliang Teapot.”
Due to its unique design, later artisans imitated this teapot, and they called this style of teapot the “Dongpo Tiliang Teapot.”