The earliest purple clay Teapot

In 1984, a Purple Clay Teapot was unearthed in the Ming dynasty eunuch Wu Jing's tomb at Guyi Oil Mill Bridge outside Zhonghua Gate in Nanjing.

It is the only one with an undeniably ancient identity among various stories about the origin of purple clay Teapots, and it resembles the early purple clay teapot features recorded in classic literature:

Molded by hand, half of its body still shows signs of the texture, and when fired alongside other pottery, it inevitably bears traces of the glaze from vats and jars.

Rarely and coincidentally, this teapot's shape is very similar to the tea brewing pot depicted in Ming dynasty painter Wang Wen's “Tea Brewing Picture,” almost identical in its handle and body.

Wang Wen was a scholar-official during the Jiajing period, indicating that this type of teapot could be used both for brewing and infusing tea.

The Wu Jing Handle Teapot was excavated from the Ming dynasty eunuch Wu Jing's tomb on Mashan Hill outside Zhonghua Gate in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. This teapot is known as the Wu Jing teapot.

Wu Jing was deeply favored by the Ming Wu Zong emperor but, like many unruly eunuchs in the Ming dynasty, he was also a henchman.

However, Wu Jing must have enjoyed tea, otherwise, he would not have been buried with his purple clay teapot.

Today, this is the only extant purple clay object from the early Jiajing period with a definite date, providing a reference for identifying purple clay objects from Gong Chun's era.

The Wu Jing teapot has a full-bodied shape that exudes a sense of dignity and elegance, making it an essential classic for teapot collectors.

This teapot, the earliest witness to purple clay material, has a simple and natural form, undoubtedly crafted by a master artisan.

Once such a treasure was in Wu Jing's possession, he never let go of it until death.

It was precisely due to his greed that this teapot's original physical form was preserved. Once exposed to daylight, it became a historical witness.

This was something the domineering and tyrannical director of the ceremonial office eunuch could never have foreseen.

The method of Tea drinking in China underwent a fundamental change after several hundred years, reaching the Ming dynasty. Instead of infusing or boiling, the process was simplified into Steeping.

The timeframe for this transition is roughly between 1531 and 1595. The Wu Jing teapot, unearthed within this timeframe, naturally holds significance for understanding changes in tea-drinking methods and the origins of purple clay teapots.

In modern times, some have changed the handle to a ring-shaped grip for easier tea brewing.

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