History of Yixing Teapots
Since I became interested in Yixing
teapots, I have read many different stories about how teapots came to be.
I've done my best to consolidate the information and provide some history on the
origins of these lovely teapots. This is for your enjoyment only and should not
be considered a definitive treatment of the history of these beautiful teapots.
The
picture to the left is a sculpture of Gong Chun (AD 1500-?). He is considered to
be the first master to have brought the Yixing purple sand teapot to the public.
Yixing pots are considered by many to be the first teapots used to steep tea.
The story goes.......a college student, Jing Si, traveled to the Jing sha
temple in Ding Shu to study with the monks. His servant Gong Chun was with
him. A monk at the temple had made a unique teapot from the purple clay
for his own use. In his free time the servant studied with the monk to
learn how to make the teapot and was so impressed with the quality of the tea
that it brewed that he felt he had to bring the purple clay teapots to the rest
of the public. He asked to be released from servitude and introduced these
teapots to the public as well as the modern method of infusing tea.
Gong Chun changed the way tea was
prepared. Before he began making these smaller pots which are 10-14
ounces, tea was brewed in a large pot over a fire. His pots changed the
process to one in which the tea is infused in the smaller pot.
During the Ming Dyanasty (1368-1644) there
are many well known Yixing teapot masters. Some of the more well known
ones are Zhao Liang, Dong Han, Yuan Chang and Shi Peng. Later Shi Da Bing (shi
Peng's son) became very well known..
Tea culture changed during the Ming
Dynasty. People replaced the tea bowl with a tea pot and replaced boiled
tea with tea steeped in hot water, replacing the fermented tea cake with tea
leaves and the process of infusion that we know today. The smaller pots were
designed for individual users and often the tea was drunk from the spout of the
pot. Drinking from the spout of a teapot is still a common practice even
among some members of the necessiteas
family.
The Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) brought about
a higher level of decoration of the Yixing teapots. The artists began
creating pots with with painting, inlaid gold and silver, bas-relief, color
glaze painting etc. Kang Xi and early emperor in the dyanasty liked colored
enamel pots which were more formal than many of the pots you see today. All of
the Yixing pots that entered the palace could only have the seal of the emperors
reign and not the artists chop. During his reign China began exporting the
purple tea pots to Europe along with Chinese tea. The Europeans began to copy
the designs. Of course these pots were not made with the actual purple
clay which is only found in China.
In the last stage of the Qing Dynasty and
early stages of the Republic of China, many Yixing teapot masters started to
become recognized for their artistry. In 1919 Shou Zheng's De ball pot and
archaize pot took the gold award t the Panama International Exhibition in 1919.
Between 1937 and 1949 while China was at
war with Japan, most of the production of the Yixing teapots was halted.
After 1949, many masters returned to Yixing and state factories were set up to
produce teapots. One of the most famous masters from this time is Mr. Gu jing
Zhou (1915-1992). One of his pots sold in 1997 for $65,000. Other
great masters are Xu Hang Tang, Wang Yian Xian, Xu Xou Tang, Lu Yao Cheng, and
Tan Quan Hai. Their pots can claim prices of $1,000 dollars or more.
As you learn about Yixing teapots you will
see a wide variety in prices. Understanding the training
of these artisans will help you see why there is such a wide margin. Check
our FAQ page
for more information about this.
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