How to healthily enjoy your Teapot

By | Sand Sea Ink Charm

Many teapot enthusiasts are newcomers to the world of purple clay, and the journey of enjoying Teapots can be long and fraught with challenges, making it difficult to know where to start when buying or appreciating teapots.

So, how can one avoid being misled and quickly improve their skills in enjoying teapots?

The following three points are provided for reference by teapot enthusiasts:

First: Look at many traditional shapes

Purple clay teapots have a historical legacy, and classic traditional shapes never go out of style. Looking at traditional shapes also cultivates a basic sense of aesthetics.

In addition, this is also an exercise in developing your discerning eye.

▲ Shi Piao – Traditional Shape

Newcomers to the teapot world should start with traditional shapes, which can be compared to the works of renowned artists from past generations. Look at where the details of the spout and handle differ, and where changes have been made to the shape. After looking at many traditional shapes, you will certainly gain insights.

▲ Edited by Gu Lao – Treasures of Yixing Purple Clay

This way, when you first lay eyes on a traditional shape, you will get a sense of whether the pot has a proper structure and whether the proportions are harmonious. This becomes apparent naturally.

Similarly, when buying a teapot, you can refer to the works of renowned artists, ensuring that you don't end up with odd and peculiar pots. The initial stages are crucial.

A few recommended books on purple clay are suggested here:

Purple Clay Craftsmanship by Xu Xiutang

Treasures of Yixing Purple Clay edited by Gu Jingzhou

Voice of Purple Clay by Zhao Yue and Xu Zhen

Second: Get yourself a good teapot

This “good teapot” doesn't necessarily mean an exorbitantly priced one, but there is a certain level of price that comes with it.

An expensive teapot may not be a good teapot, but a good teapot's price will never be cheap.

▲ Jingzhou Shi Piao

A good teapot enhances your discerning eye. Only with a truly good teapot can you feel the meticulous craftsmanship and high-quality clay.

You'll discover that the changes that occur after just a few infusions are not mere legends, and the so-called charm of a teapot is not something abstract and intangible.

▲ Red Skin Dragon – Antique Style

If you end up with a poorly made teapot, you won't gain any insights from using it and might even diminish your appreciation abilities.

A good teapot nurtures the person who uses it. Handling it gently and deliberately over time will naturally imbue one with refined elegance.

A good teapot uses fine materials and encourages interaction, its beautiful shape evokes affection, and it naturally stirs up feelings of beauty within the user, bringing joy.

Holding a good teapot in your hand, feeling the roundness or squareness, the intricate carvings and myriad transformations, will naturally elevate your skills in enjoying teapots over time.

Third: Visit Dingshan

This is also the most direct approach. No matter how many explanations are found in books, they cannot compare to seeing things firsthand.

▲ Night view of Yixing

Treat it as a trip; Yixing is a picturesque town in the Jiangnan region with deep cultural roots. Visiting Dingshan, taking a look at Huanglong Mountain, chatting with teapot makers, and having Tea with shop owners can naturally resolve many doubts.

▲ Huanglong Mountain Entrance

Compared to being confused while browsing, learning, and buying online, a trip to Dingshan can be delightful – this is the fastest method.

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