Some believe China has been involved in the tea culture for almost 4000 years. In the ancient time tea came in bricks, and chunks of the bricks were cut off. These fermented tea cakes were then boiled in big bowls over an open fire and later they were drunk from small bowls. Shortly after the tea bricks were invented, powdered tea was introduced and this too was mixed in with boiling water.
In the beginning tea was used for its medical healing properties and then later as a vegetable. It wasn't until the Ming Dynasty that the modern day tea era began. Somewhere around the 1500's the first Yixing teapot was developed by a man who was reportedly under the apprenticeship of a monk. They soon replaced the regular tea bowls with smaller Yixing teapots which enhanced the flavor of the tea.
A True Yixing teapot is made from Yixing clay gathered from a region of the same name which is located about 120 miles Northwest of Shanghai. The masters and upcoming artisans alike manipulate this purple clay, which contains natural minerals to make beautiful utensils in various colors. Artisans undergo a long apprenticeship and receive vigorous training in the craft before mastering the technique of making Yixing Teapots.
Each individual teapot is a work of art. Every work of art has those who wish to replicate it. So there are many replications on the market which mimic the form, style, and presence of the prototype, and for this reason you may see pots referred to as fakes. There are many concerns about exactly how to tell the difference and this is a genuine concern when you consider a contemporary pot made out of regular clay or even yixing zisha clay being sold as an antique or an original teapot. The method of choice it appears to tell the difference between teapots made of regular clay or Yixing clay is by touching it. Yixing clay doesn't feel sticky, while other clay tends to have a sticky feel to it. It also does not have an earth or mud smell as some clays do. Visually Yixing clay seems roughly textured but feels smooth and sandy (pleasant) to the touch. The most trusted method is finding a Yixing teapot dealer that you trust and buying from them only.
Molds are used to recreate some of the popular Yixing teapot shapes and commercially produced for customers. The higher priced teapots are individually handmade by the great artisans in the field. They tend to be of greater durability, functionally superior, and are more pleasing aesthetically. However,this does not mean you cannot find a great so-called "cheap pot" or one of commercial grade quality that isn't wonderfully executed. Having an open mind in pot selection whatever your budget seems to be mandatory. Experts will advise a prospective purchaser to touch the teapot, hold it in the hand and get a sense of it. In the absence of this tactile, face to face to experience with a pot, purchasing from someone you trust is the next best thing. It is also good to read about the yixing teapot.
The price of a handmade Yixing teapot has been known to be quite expensive. The use of molds in the commercially crafted pots, make pot making a quicker process whereas more of them can be made. Though they do not have the same provenace and personal touch, they are still quite effective. In fact, they are still semi-handmade or half hand-made, because an artisan must always finish the pots. Todays technicians an be tomorrows master craftsman. This hand finishing gives the pot its personality. You will find that the pots imbibe the qualities of the artisan in some ways, as handling quickens the organic quality inherent in the clay.
The molds are formed after the pleasing shapes that customer's desire in the commercial style pots and they still use the popular purple Yixing clay. They are less expensive and may not be as original as the other teapots, but they make delicious tea.
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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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