TeaChat

... have and seems to fit the black ink description and "twinkle star" of all the flecks of silver...

The teapot is much darker, but I provide you with it under lighted conditions. If anyone knows for sure who has experience in the Hei Ni realm, that would be great to know. This is a single pour spot, no filter Yixing teapot.

I'll take better pictures later if nobody can determine what's going on with this clay.

Obviously that photo's exposure is WAY overblown, so it's hard to tell. Given the different colors visible in the clay, I'd say it's not hei ni. Most hei ni I've seen is uniformly black.

my photos are always sucky quality. Here's one of the skin, a bit bigger. I keep trying to use photobucket but it keeps messing with image sizes so i keep having issues posting here. But here we go again...a bigger photo of the skin of the teapot.

Yeah, might be.

tingjunkie wrote:Yeah, might be.

I really need an identifier guide. Which is the best thread? I once seen a thread on here that had some really good examples of various teapots in various different types of clay material. I did not bookmark it and have not been able to find it ever since.

there are several threads about clay identifier guide. not sure if there is one considered best one.
tingjunkie started a very useful thread called "Official/Different Yixing Show Off Topic" where you have chance to see a lot of pots and discussion.

http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=11539

and in there Tim showed some of his heini pots I think:

http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?p=226212

I read through all pages in there several times. I still can't identify clay, but I understand more about stuff like is the pot hand made or wheel thrown, how clay is too shiny to be true yixing, etc... great thread to me.
hope it helps.

found 2 from my bookmarks. wonder if it is what you are looking for:

Guide to yixing clay teapots:
http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=15993

Yixing lessons/advices:
http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=14473

No photos, but Chrl42 lays out some great info over on teadrunk: http://teadrunk.org/viewtopic.php?id=47

It should be said that there is naturally occurring hei ni to be found, but the VAST majority of stuff out there is made my adding artificial coloring agents. Black pots can also be achieved by firing certain purple clays in a reduction kiln. I know this happens with Japanese pots, but I'm not sure about Yixing. Anyone know?

looks like heini to me. brews nice tea?

I am corresponding with Charles via e-mail now regarding a few of my teapots and have sent him numerous high resolution images. He will help me get to the bottom of things. And I will post back what is determined with his help.

Possibly Penshan Lini fired at 1100-1200C.
Just a guess, hard to tell from the photo.

Teaism wrote:Possibly Penshan Lini fired at 1100-1200C.
Just a guess, hard to tell from the photo.

Is lini and alternate spelling of luni, or is it a different clay all together?

tingjunkie wrote:

Teaism wrote:Possibly Penshan Lini fired at 1100-1200C.
Just a guess, hard to tell from the photo.

Is lini and alternate spelling of luni, or is it a different clay all together?

hi tingjunkie, it is alternative spelling and the same clay.

cheers!

Maybe you could compare your pot with the ones listed at Jing Tea Shop. Probably the colour of those pictures will be also different in real life...but at least you'll have a rough idea whether your pot's clay is real hei ni or not.