For a real treat, tea drinkers need only experience tea that is brewed in an exquisite Yixing Teapot. These handcrafted beauties are meticulously formed out of Zisha clay, which is made out of sand only found in the Yixing location in China. Five colors of sand are found here, but the purple sand is the rarest of all. Additionally, mixtures of different colors of sand produce an array of striking shades and speckled colors.
Simple tools in the hands of highly skilled clay artisans yield amazingly precise results. The exact number of clay tools used depends on the particular artisan, but generally, there are about eight different utensils with a unique purpose. The pottery tools specifically used to form a Yixing teapot go back centuries in China, and are dissimilar from clay pottery tools designed in the Western World.
First, potters use a mallet to pound out the chunks of clay into flat pieces. Traditionally, mallets are made from either rosewood or maple. Furthermore, potters use their hands extensively to work the clay, constantly patting, smoothing, pinching and tapping the emerging form with just the right touch.
Next, paddling is a method of making the surface smooth and uniform by using a rosewood paddle. To make the bottom of the teapot and the top, a compass tool, also called a circle cutter, will cut a perfect circle of the desired circumference.
Several petite knives are used for various procedures. A miniature sculpting knife is used for creating details in the clay. An arrowhead knife or parallel cutter is essential for precision cutting of straight lines. This is done when cutting the main rectangular piece of clay for making the teapot body. A spout knife is just what the name implies, a special knife that helps form a hollow clay spout.
Interestingly, water buffalo horns are used for burnishing because they have a slick surface and the clay does not stick to it. Clay scrapers made from the buffalo horns are helpful for smoothing the curving surfaces of the clay. Bamboo is another source of material that is fashioned into tools for manipulating the clay and is favored because of its durability.
To make the tiny holes inside the teapot, which function as a tea leaf strainer, a brass hole cutter is the right tool. After making the holes, a tool simply called a hole smoother helps to smooth out the holes and form the edges in a rounded, beveled or angled shape. In addition, a wood egg is another tool used to smooth rounded parts of the teapot, and to round off edges where needed.
Sprig molds and specialized brass tools, as well as stamps with patterns are how intricate shapes are sculpted on the outside of the Yixing teapots. Many different design themes are found in the collectible teapots. Thematic forms are inspired by the natural world or sculpted with a bit of whimsy including vines, fruit, unusual shapes, dragons and hundreds more. However, the elegant and simply rounded shapes are highly prized for their perfect symmetry and regal calm appearance as well.
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Karen Davis is an Yixing Teapot enthusiast and collected her first pot back in the 1980's. She is the founder of Brownstoneshopper, an online webstore that sells Yixing teapots. We have a variety of teapots showcased in our online gallery. If you enjoyed this article, visit us now online at http://www.brownstoneshopper.com/contact-us/ and sign up for your FREE Report!
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