Small (or moderately) sized yixing pots?

[kyarazen]

But this doesn't explain why many potters favour making 200mL+ pots which are totally impractical for modern/Westernised/Western tea drinkers (bearing in mind that tea, especially puerh, is steadily increasing its price year after year).

can you share why 200ml is impractical?

of course understanding that in europe and many other places they like to do tea in a single large infusion, in principle you will need a huge cup and a tea bag not a pot

[wert]

Bravo chrl42!

It is up to the person brewing the tea to adjust to the materials (tea,water, pot, etc) There are ways to use a bigger pot for 1 person, for example, the pot could be partially filled.

To expand what chrl42 said on the bei system used to size the pots. This come about because in the older shuiping, the number of bei(cups) is sometimes marked on the lid. In modern times, each bei(cup) is 20ml, so si bei (4 cups) would be 80ml. Before the early 70s, each bei is only 15ml, so the older 6 cups would be the modern 4 cups, popularise by the taiwanese as lao liu bei (old 6 cups).

[Tead Off]

Bravo chrl42!

It is up to the person brewing the tea to adjust to the materials (tea,water, pot, etc) There are ways to use a bigger pot for 1 person, for example, the pot could be partially filled.

To expand what chrl42 said on the bei system used to size the pots. This come about because in the older shuiping, the number of bei(cups) is sometimes marked on the lid. In modern times, each bei(cup) is 20ml, so si bei (4 cups) would be 80ml. Before the early 70s, each bei is only 15ml, so the older 6 cups would be the modern 4 cups, popularise by the taiwanese as lao liu bei (old 6 cups).

I'm not sure this is correct about the numbers on the lid corresponding to cups. Factory 1 used the numbering system to indicate which group of potters created the teapots as they were not allowed to put their signature on the teaware. I have read this in more than one treatise on Yixing.

[chrl42]

Bravo chrl42!

It is up to the person brewing the tea to adjust to the materials (tea,water, pot, etc) There are ways to use a bigger pot for 1 person, for example, the pot could be partially filled.

To expand what chrl42 said on the bei system used to size the pots. This come about because in the older shuiping, the number of bei(cups) is sometimes marked on the lid. In modern times, each bei(cup) is 20ml, so si bei (4 cups) would be 80ml. Before the early 70s, each bei is only 15ml, so the older 6 cups would be the modern 4 cups, popularise by the taiwanese as lao liu bei (old 6 cups).

I'm not sure this is correct about the numbers on the lid corresponding to cups. Factory 1 used the numbering system to indicate which group of potters created the teapots as they were not allowed to put their signature on the teaware. I have read this in more than one treatise on Yixing.

You've touched the wrong spot.

Your situation is during early-80s (and later). But what I mean was 5~60s. During that period inscription of x杯 (Chinese letter) on the lid was to indicate the size of the pots. Funny thing is that size is 1~2 cup smaller than today's standard (the Taiwanese set it).

For example, 六杯 (6-cup) inscription on the lid from 5~60s SPs are actually 4-cup size in today's standard. The reason I think is, it's how they call in Taiwan. But if you look at catalogs or books published in HK before 80s, their calling of cup-size is just as same as Factory-1's inscription.

[wert]

I am not referring to the random numbers on the lids. I am referring to the characters like (六杯，十二杯), etc. These and sometimes also the name of the pot such as (水平，线瓢) are marked on the lids during the 60s.

[Tead Off]

Bravo chrl42!

It is up to the person brewing the tea to adjust to the materials (tea,water, pot, etc) There are ways to use a bigger pot for 1 person, for example, the pot could be partially filled.

To expand what chrl42 said on the bei system used to size the pots. This come about because in the older shuiping, the number of bei(cups) is sometimes marked on the lid. In modern times, each bei(cup) is 20ml, so si bei (4 cups) would be 80ml. Before the early 70s, each bei is only 15ml, so the older 6 cups would be the modern 4 cups, popularise by the taiwanese as lao liu bei (old 6 cups).

I'm not sure this is correct about the numbers on the lid corresponding to cups. Factory 1 used the numbering system to indicate which group of potters created the teapots as they were not allowed to put their signature on the teaware. I have read this in more than one treatise on Yixing.

You've touched the wrong spot.

Your situation is during early-80s (and later). But what I mean was 5~60s. During that period inscription of x杯 (Chinese letter) on the lid was to indicate the size of the pots. Funny thing is that size is 1~2 cup smaller than today's standard (the Taiwanese set it).

For example, 六杯 (6-cup) inscription on the lid from 5~60s SPs are actually 4-cup size in today's standard. The reason I think is, it's how they call in Taiwan. But if you look at catalogs or books published in HK before 80s, their calling of cup-size is just as same as Factory-1's inscription.

From Billy Mood's Yixing Essay:

"During the Cultural Revolution period from 1966 to 1976, potters were not allowed to imprint their personal seals on teapots. To resolve the problem of identifying the works after firing in cases of breakage or deformity, numbers were used to identify each potter.

You can find the numbers in the inner face of the cap, which is embossed, and the reversed on the based of the pot. Other than numbers, certain Chinese words were used to represent a potter or a group of potters. Example: "tao gong" was used to represent the entire research group of Zisha Factory, but it can also represent a potter."

So, which is it? Cup size or potter identification?

[wert]

"During the Cultural Revolution period from 1966 to 1976, potters were not allowed to imprint their personal seals on teapots. To resolve the problem of identifying the works after firing in cases of breakage or deformity, numbers were used to identify each potter.

You can find the numbers in the inner face of the cap, which is embossed, and the reversed on the based of the pot. Other than numbers, certain Chinese words were used to represent a potter or a group of potters. Example: "tao gong" was used to represent the entire research group of Zisha Factory, but it can also represent a potter."

So, which is it? Cup size or potter identification?

It is quite simple.
Numbers are for potter or batch ID. The characters (x bei) is for size. Furthermore, there are used in different era. x bei were used during the 60s, the random numbers during and after CR.

[chrl42]

"During the Cultural Revolution period from 1966 to 1976, potters were not allowed to imprint their personal seals on teapots. To resolve the problem of identifying the works after firing in cases of breakage or deformity, numbers were used to identify each potter.

You can find the numbers in the inner face of the cap, which is embossed, and the reversed on the based of the pot. Other than numbers, certain Chinese words were used to represent a potter or a group of potters. Example: "tao gong" was used to represent the entire research group of Zisha Factory, but it can also represent a potter."

So, which is it? Cup size or potter identification?

It is quite simple.
Numbers are for potter or batch ID. The characters (x bei) is for size. Furthermore, there are used in different era. x bei were used during the 60s, the random numbers during and after CR.

+1

you said it right. But from what I know, numbers (as in ID) are used later than names. Many of CR SPs just don't have any on the lid, except 'cup size' or 'name of pot',

I've heard 'name of potter' on the lids were done during late-70s and numbers are early-80s.

Qin Yin Zhong Guo Wu Long Cha SPs are reported to be made in 75, so it's IN the CR. They used 'name' seals but the shape was different, they were the square ones.

Qing Yin has three versions, no seal version, square me seal version and name version. No seal versions are said to be the earliest and name versions to be the latest....stepping back, names on the lids could be at least 70s, that could include late-CR.

There is also Qing Yin Qing Shui Ni SP, that one has numbers on the lids, and it's reported to be made durin early-80s, and the moulds plus clays are quite similar to other SPs of same period.


Factory-1 is among the most complicated subject in Yixing, it's not something to write to complete in essay. New informations are being updated and revised even to these days..

[wert]

I am afraid qingyin is too deep a study for me, it is a tricky and controversial topic that is beyond my shallow knowledge.

[wyardley]

Numbers are for potter or batch ID. The characters (x bei) is for size. Furthermore, there are used in different era. x bei were used during the 60s, the random numbers during and after CR.

I was going to say the same thing, that usually the roman numerals refer to something other than size. However, I think on some of the yitiaolong sets from later period (probably late 70s or 80s), there is a roman numeral under the lid that indicates the size (roughly in # of cups (1-12)).

[chrl42]

Numbers are for potter or batch ID. The characters (x bei) is for size. Furthermore, there are used in different era. x bei were used during the 60s, the random numbers during and after CR.

I was going to say the same thing, that usually the roman numerals refer to something other than size. However, I think on some of the yitiaolong sets from later period (probably late 70s or 80s), there is a roman numeral under the lid that indicates the size (roughly in # of cups (1-12)).

70s used steel moulds, the effect reflected on the skin of the pots are quite clear, 80s used plaster mould, the picture looks much like the latter one.

[wert]

Added a picture of the x bei.

12 cups modern 8 cups

12cups.jpg (13.28 KiB) Viewed 1224 times

[kyarazen]

From Billy Mood's Yixing Essay:

"During the Cultural Revolution period from 1966 to 1976, potters were not allowed to imprint their personal seals on teapots. To resolve the problem of identifying the works after firing in cases of breakage or deformity, numbers were used to identify each potter.

You can find the numbers in the inner face of the cap, which is embossed, and the reversed on the based of the pot. Other than numbers, certain Chinese words were used to represent a potter or a group of potters. Example: "tao gong" was used to represent the entire research group of Zisha Factory, but it can also represent a potter."

So, which is it? Cup size or potter identification?

billy mood.... unfortunately i did not get a chance to meet him before he passed on

there are interesting CR markings, some rare ones are names,some are 艺名, some are aliases, some are group names, some are pot names, some are unmarked...

[chrl42]

Added a picture of the x bei.

12cups.jpg

A genuine.

Wrinkles (on the lid) quite reminds the steel effect.

[Tead Off]

Added a picture of the x bei.

12cups.jpg

Thanks to all for the clarification and photos.