Yixing purple clay pottery [Jiangsu Yixing specialty]

What is Yixing purple clay pottery? Authentic Yixing specialty: Yixing purple clay pottery

Summary:Do you want to know what Yixing purple clay pottery is? This article is a detailed introduction to Yixing's specialty, Yixing purple clay pottery. It was compiled and edited by the editorial team of China Specialty Network after reviewing and collecting relevant information on Yixing purple clay pottery. The full text takes about 9 minutes to read, mainly including the basic introduction of Yixing purple clay pottery and the product characteristics of Yixing purple clay pottery? How does the history of Yixing purple clay pottery come about? How to distinguish the authenticity of Yixing purple clay pottery? Wait

Basic Introduction to Yixing Purple Clay Pottery

Yixing Purple Clay Pottery is a unique type of clear clay pottery in Yixing, with a purple color. Its products are commonly referred to as "purple clay ware" or simply "purple clay". Yixing purple clay pottery has been internationally renowned for nearly 500 years. Purple clay pottery holds a magnificent position in the vast history of Chinese cultural relics, and is known as a superb work of art. Now the purple clay craft continues to inherit and develop on the basis of early sand vessels, pushing the art of purple clay to a more perfect realm

Yixing handmade purple clay pottery technique refers to a traditional folk pottery making technique distributed in Dingshu Town, Yixing City, Jiangsu Province. This technique has a long history and high artistic achievements, and is renowned in the world of art. And with its unique raw materials, exquisite craftsmanship, rustic natural colors, and diverse forms of plastic arts, it stands out among the arts and crafts garden, with a unique and enduring charm. Due to Yixing's unique type of clear clay pottery, which has a reddish purple color, its products are commonly known as "purple clay ware" or simply "purple clay". Through the process of production and development, purple clay reached maturity by the end of the Ming Dynasty and has been enduring ever since. Yixing purple clay has had considerable popularity since the Ming and Qing dynasties. Its products sell well both domestically and internationally, and Japan has also come to China to learn teapot making techniques with purple clay as a treasure. In addition, Yixing purple clay teapots are also sold in Europe along with Chinese tea, becoming the blueprint for European teapot making, which shows the preciousness of Yixing purple clay

Purple clay teapot is used for brewing tea. There has long been a consensus on the performance of purple clay teapots, which embodies both color and aroma. Moreover, scientific institutions have also conducted detailed tests on the "longer the summer moon stays, the better it won't spoil" of clay pots. The results have confirmed that clay pots are much superior to ceramics, based on the uniqueness of purple clay raw materials. The strong practicality of purple clay teapots lies in their relatively high porosity, which gives them the advantage of good breathability

Initial stage

From the Song Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty's Zhengde (around the 10th to 16th centuries), it was the initial stage of purple clay pottery creation

In 1976, a large number of purple clay pottery remains were unearthed at the Yangjiaoshan Ancient Kiln Site in Yixing. According to the appraisal of the History Department of Nanjing University and Nanjing Museum, this purple clay ancient kiln site dates back to the Northern Song Dynasty. A purple clay teapot with a lifting beam was unearthed in Nanjing in 1966 from the Wu Jing Tomb (tomb of the 12th year of the Ming Jiajing reign). Its purple clay shape and production techniques are completely consistent with the patchwork of Song kiln remnants from Yangjiaoshan. In the poems of Song Dynasty poets Ouyang Xiu, Mei Yaochen, and others, there are also verses about purple clay tea sets. During the Ming Dynasty's Zhengde period, there were records of outstanding potters such as Jinsha Temple monks and spring offerings

Maturity period

From the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty to the Wanli period, it was the maturity period of Yixing Yixing purple clay.

There were first the "Four Great Masters" of Dong Han, Zhao Liang, Yuan Chang, and Shi Peng, followed by the "Three Great Masters" of Shi Dabin, Li Zhongfang, and Xu Youquan. Among them, Shi Dabin is the most famous. The technique of making teapots has completely changed from the early methods, using the molding method of hammers, rings, and beating tubes, as well as the method of inlaying clay pieces, which is a leap in the craft of purple clay

Prosperous period

From the late Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, it was a prosperous period for purple clay craftsmanship

From the late Ming Dynasty to the early Qing Dynasty (late 17th century to early 18th century), purple clay craftsmanship developed towards decorative patterns and patterned designs. The "Peach Cup" made by Xiang Shengsi in the late Ming Dynasty (now in the Nanjing Museum) has exquisite craftsmanship, perfect image, and dense structure, making it a treasure of sand ware. The most prominent representative of this stage is Chen Mingyuan in the late Kangxi period, whose works are known for their skills and creativity. In the early 19th century, there was a significant shift in the style of purple clay pottery, with the key figure being scholar Chen Hongshou (also known as Mansheng). His contribution to purple clay pottery was the first time seal carving was used as a decorative technique on teapots. During the reign of Emperor Daoguang of the Qing Dynasty and the Xianfeng period, the outstanding purple clay craftsman Shao Daheng created exquisite clay works with profound shapes and superb skills, creating a delicate and intricate style that won him great reputation

Peak period

In modern and contemporary times, Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing Yixing. Among them, Gu Jingzhou's works have smooth and gentle lines, with a powerful and majestic atmosphere, earning him the title of "master of teapot art". Throughout history, famous figures in Yixing have utilized the unique purple clay of Yixing to infuse art and inspiration with their skillful hands and intelligence, creating precious purple clay pottery with ethnic, cultural, and artistic characteristics. Famous calligraphy and painting artists such as Liu Haisu, Li Keran, Tang Yun, Cheng Shifa, Han Meilin, etc. also wrote their own inscriptions, poems, and paintings for purple clay works, and created new styles, which elevated the artistic and cultural level of purple clay to a new level

To determine the authenticity of purple clay teapots, two aspects can be taken into account:

One is to look at the bright color. A real purple clay teapot is heavy and purple in color, and due to long-term human touch, it presents a smooth and shiny appearance. The newly made purple clay teapots generally have a loose texture, a yellowish color, with less shiny and more unlit. Even if there is light, it is polished with state white wax