The art of making teapots is big in China. Not only is tea such a big hit in China, but teapots possess such huge artistic value on this side of the globe. Because of this, Chinese pots go beyond your typical teapot. This is especially so with Yixing, arguably the most valuable of all teapots to come out of the Chinese subcontinent. The level of artistry that goes into these pots is top-notch to say the least, and has made legends out of men coming from different generations in history. As such, the artistic tradition of Yixing runs very deep.
The history of Yixing teapots actually stretch as early as the 10th century during the rule of the Song dynasty. In fact, some artifacts have been unearthed and discovered to have an age of a millennium. There used to be a time that these pots are solely used for utilitarian purposes, which is to keep tea. But during the Ming dynasty, something happened. Yixing teapots are suddenly considered as an art form, and the art of tea drinking in China was changed forever along with it.
It's been disputed who is the one who really started the trend of making artwork out of teapots. But history points that it's Gong Chun also known as Gong Gong Chun, that first started the art of making Yixing teapots. A former servant, he knew about Yixing clay when a monk at a temple he visited presented him a unique teapot. He was impressed with the quality of tea produced using that pot, and he later asked the monk to teach him how to make them. He studied the monks abilities and collected scraps of clay to fshion his own pot. Once he had mastered how to make them, he introduced teapots made from Zisha clay to the public. The people immediately recognized the level of artistry it had and the quality of tea it produced, and the rest is history. For his efforts, Gong Chun is widely considered to be the first master of Yixing teapot making.
Over the next centuries, more masters emerged into the scene, with each of them taking the art of making Yixing pots to the next level. The next leap of growth for this now-burgeoning craft occurred during the Qing dynasty. During this era, the Yixing teapot had become a full-fledged work of art, with people more than willing to pay a huge sum to get the best handiwork from the masters. Some of the masters who made their name during this era include Cheng Ming Yuan, Cheng Man Shen, Shao Da Heng, and Huang Yu Ling. Not only did these masters make a lot of elite-level pots that exemplified the creative spirit of Yixing clay pots, but they also trained more experts who would lead the way in further expanding the craft of teapot making.
Over the centuries, the craft of making Yixing teapots expanded by leaps and bounds. Not only has it given birth to craftsmen, but occasionally it has also given birth to legends. The creativity and mastery these experts pour into these works of art is novel. Yixing will continually grow as long as these craftsmen continue to hone their craft.
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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 avariety 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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