This spring auction season, a set of “Nine-piece Plum Praise Tea Wares” by the late master of purple clay teapot art, Gu Jingzhou, became the highlight of China Guardian's 2014 Spring Auction Purple Clay section. It was eventually sold for RMB 25 million, setting another record high.
In recent years, works by Mr. Gu Jingzhou have repeatedly broken records for the highest prices achieved in domestic purple clay teapot auctions. Mr. Gu Jingzhou is well-known not only for his collaborations with famous calligraphers and painters but also for his highly realistic reproductions of famous Teapots, such as the “Gongchun Teapot” (a classic teapot first created by a renowned artisan from Yixing during the Ming Dynasty's Zhengde and Jiajing periods).
Why do master-level teapot makers still invite calligraphers and painters to decorate their teapots? Why are reproductions of famous teapot designs still so popular among collectors? What criteria should be used when collecting purple clay teapots?
How to Identify Genuine Purple Clay?
Experts will first verify the type of clay used before purchasing a purple clay teapot. Good clay makes a good teapot. Purple clay teapots on the market come in various colors, including black, brown, red, purple, yellow, green, etc. These colors are not produced by chemical dyes but by the natural minerals, such as iron oxide, found in the clay from Yixing. By skillfully blending different clays and firing them at different temperatures, a wide range of colors can be achieved. The three well-known types of purple clay are purple clay, green clay, and red clay. Teapots made from rarer clays are more valuable. Due to the influence of capital, more and more people have invested in purple clay teapots, leading to a scarcity of high-quality raw materials. This has driven some merchants to use fraudulent methods like adding chemicals to meet collectors' aesthetic demands. Fake purple clay refers specifically to the use of fake clay. Some experts have summarized a method to identify genuine purple clay teapots using “observation, smell, sound, and touch.” Genuine purple clay teapots will not have overly bright colors, will feel slightly rough with a grainy texture, will not produce a clear or cracked sound, and will emit an earthy scent rather than other odors when soaked in water.
How to Evaluate the Value of a Purple Clay Teapot?
To a collector, what they collect is not just a teapot but a work of art. Therefore, when evaluating a purple clay teapot, one must consider not only the quality of the clay but also its artistic value. For example, is the shape elegant? Which famous artist's poetry and paintings are used as decoration? Were these decorations personally carved by the artist, and to what level of artistic achievement? If it is an antique, who has owned it throughout history, and what interesting stories are associated with it? These factors all directly impact the perception and evaluation of the teapot by future collectors.
In general, the value of a purple clay teapot should be evaluated based on four aspects: clay, shape, craftsmanship, and maker's mark. The current purple clay teapot market is mixed with genuine and fake items, and both the clay and maker's marks can be faked. Identifying them requires specialized knowledge and experience. However, ordinary collectors can learn to judge shape and craftsmanship. Shape refers to the design, while craftsmanship refers to the quality of the work. To appreciate the design, one should improve their artistic appreciation and aesthetic standards by studying famous teapots through exhibitions and literature. For example, understanding which shapes are more rustic, generous, elegant, and interesting can help form your own criteria. Craftsmanship involves assessing whether the teapot is finely made, with clear transitions between points, lines, and surfaces. A good purple clay teapot should have a spout and handle that are precisely aligned, balanced, and have a smooth interior. Additionally, I believe that the usability of a teapot is also crucial.
Why Do Reproductions Have Collection Value?
Since the inception of purple clay teapots, cultural elements have been prominent. As a product closely tied to Tea culture, they have always had a strong connection with intellectuals. Some even view purple clay teapots as a form of intellectual art, pursuing the same rustic elegance sought after by scholars throughout history, much like scholar paintings in Chinese art that integrate poetry, calligraphy, painting, and seals. When viewed with the perspective of intellectual art, purple clay teapots embody the refined aesthetics of scholar paintings. Purple clay teapots possess a collection function, and many famous works by artisans such as Gongchun, Shi Dabin, Dong Han, Chen Hongshou, and Chen Mingyuan have become rare treasures coveted by collectors. In contemporary times, many masters have emerged, such as Mr. Gu Jingzhou, whose works are highly artistic and popular in the auction market.
As a Teaware, the primary value of a purple clay teapot lies in its functionality for brewing tea. However, over time, it has been embraced by many, especially intellectuals, for collection, significantly altering our way of life. This is because, through continuous use, cultural elements were integrated into purple clay teapots, making them important carriers of Chinese culture. For example, the use of poetry, calligraphy, painting, and seals as decoration, and the fusion of sculpture art in their design, have transformed purple clay teapots from functional items to cultural artifacts. Throughout history, intellectuals have collected purple clay teapots as works of art. Whether a purple clay teapot is worth collecting largely depends on its artistic value.
Moreover, the merits of purple clay teapots crafted by renowned masters, in terms of craftsmanship, design, and usability, have been widely recognized. Many collectors with the financial means hope to own a similar teapot, but since there is only one original, unless the original owner sells it, other collectors cannot fulfill their wishes. This is why high-quality reproductions have emerged in the industry. High-quality reproductions are fundamentally different from fakes. Fakes deceive buyers with imitations, whereas high-quality reproductions must be clearly identified as reproductions during transactions. In fact, many high-quality reproductions in the cultural and artistic fields are recognized as high-level artworks. For example, extant copies of Wang Xizhi's “Preface to the Orchid Pavilion,” as well as some of Giuseppe Castiglione's imitative paintings and Gu Jingzhou's reproductions of Gongchun-style teapots, are exceptional artistic works. High-quality reproductions address a unique cultural phenomenon in the transmission of artworks. As long as there is no deception involved, high-quality reproductions also have collection value.