The practice of making a new purple clay Teapot look old and passing it off as an antique for profit is known as “making a new pot look old.” Common methods include:

1. Coating Method. A mixture made from strong Tea, edible oil, vinegar, soy sauce, Sugar, etc., is applied to the surface of a new teapot.

2. Boiling Method. A new teapot is boiled in strong tea broth, dried, and then boiled again. This process is repeated several times until the teapot appears dull and aged.

3. Oiling Method. Shoe polish of a similar color is rubbed onto the new teapot.

4. Burying Method. A new teapot is buried in the ground to fade its new appearance.

So how can one distinguish so-called “old” or “ancient” Teapots?

1. Examine the Clay Color. The clay used before the mid-Qing Dynasty mostly has a muddy yellow hue, as people did not yet know how to mix iron oxide powder into the clay to alter its color.

Chen Mingyuan's Stepped Base Square Teapot

2. Examine the Shape. During Shi Dabin's era, vessels with ribbed patterns were dominant. During the popularity of “Man Sheng” teapots, geometric shapes were more common. For example, Cheng Shouzhen only made three styles late in his career: “Duiqiu,” “Fanggu,” and “Hanbian.”

Cheng Shouzhen's Duiqiu Teapot

3. Examine the Aura. Even the simplest design and most ordinary material will come alive with extraordinary spirit when crafted by a master. While fakes may surpass the original in craftsmanship and technique, they cannot replicate the spirit and aura.

4. Examine the Firing. Differences in firing include personal habits and period characteristics. Traditional “dragon kilns” had less stable temperatures than modern “electric kilns,” leading to underfired or overfired results. Before Li Maolin of the Ming Dynasty introduced separate kiln chambers for different wares, porcelain glazes could splash onto purple clay pieces during high-temperature firing, leaving traces of “jar and vase glaze tears.”

5. Examine the Markings. Incised inscriptions, seals, and their placement on the teapot vary by period and by individual artist. Before Chen Zhongmei, artists often incised inscriptions in regular script; after Chen Zhongmei, seals became more common. Incised inscriptions are the hardest to judge, as many artists did not write their own inscriptions but had others do it for them. The use of computers can correct distortions caused by firing shrinkage, making it difficult to discern the authenticity of seals. Thus, the examination of inscriptions and seals serves only as a supplementary method. (Chen Zhongmei was from the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty.)

Ming Dynasty Chen Zhongmei's Bamboo Knot Teapot

Chen Mingyuan's Four-Footed He Teapot

6. Examine the Engravings.

Works adorned with calligraphy and inscriptions often reveal flaws when replicated. Forgers do not create the engravings in a single, continuous flow. Different eras have distinct engraving characteristics: in the Ming Dynasty, characters were typically first written on the teapot with a brush, followed by double-blade incising, resulting in smooth edges on both sides of each stroke. In the Qing Dynasty, single-blade incising became more prevalent, producing one smooth and one rough side per stroke.

Images and text sourced from: Encyclopedia of Purple Clay Teapots. Author: Mr. Chen. Knowledge is valuable when shared. If there are any copyright issues, please contact us for removal.