Feb 18th, '15, 21:45
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Re: Official/Different Yixing Show Off Topic!

by xiaobai » Feb 18th, '15, 21:45

This is a question for the Yixing experts of the forum: Please, help!

I recently got a copy of the famous F1 teapot book published by Wushing,
鈺壺雅集, and I was trying to compare the sizes (height and width)
of a couple of teapots whose shape and color matches quite closely the pictures on it with the numbers shown below the pictures in the book (in cm).

However, the sizes do not entirely match. Sometimes, they are off by
a few cm. Does this mean that the teapot is a fake or are the measurements
in the book not to be taken too seriously?

Thanks very much in advance!!

Feb 18th, '15, 22:08
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Re: Official/Different Yixing Show Off Topic!

by steanze » Feb 18th, '15, 22:08

Fake.



... kidding :lol: I don't know.
This question is better suited for a new post though, it doesn't have much to do with this one...

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Feb 18th, '15, 22:26
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Re: Official/Different Yixing Show Off Topic!

by Teaism » Feb 18th, '15, 22:26

xiaobai wrote:This is a question for the Yixing experts of the forum: Please, help!

I recently got a copy of the famous F1 teapot book published by Wushing,
鈺壺雅集, and I was trying to compare the sizes (height and width)
of a couple of teapots whose shape and color matches quite closely the pictures on it with the numbers shown below the pictures in the book (in cm).

However, the sizes do not entirely match. Sometimes, they are off by
a few cm. Does this mean that the teapot is a fake or are the measurements
in the book not to be taken too seriously?

Thanks very much in advance!!
Hi Xiaobai,

Happy Lunar New Year!新年快乐

The book and most teapot books are good just for reference. Some newer books even feature fakes as genuine. It is good to be cautious.

As for the book, they feature the typical models and design. Yixing pots are produced in thousands of batches and they definitely have the variations in shape, size and clay.


Even in the same batch there is variation. I have a dozen of 70s flat based shui ping and the clay looks different although they are all in the original carton.

Most collectors rely on the clay and how the pot is crafted to determine the authenticity and period of the pots.


Cheers! :D

Feb 18th, '15, 22:54
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Re: Official/Different Yixing Show Off Topic!

by xiaobai » Feb 18th, '15, 22:54

Thank you so much Teaism for sharing your vast knowledge
and 新年快樂 !!

I am trying to educate myself about clay quality , but living in Taiwan,
where there are so many factory teapot imitations, it is hard to
learn. I really appreciate it :D!

恭禧發財!

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Feb 19th, '15, 01:50
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Re: Official/Different Yixing Show Off Topic!

by Teaism » Feb 19th, '15, 01:50

xiaobai wrote:Thank you so much Teaism for sharing your vast knowledge
and 新年快樂 !!

I am trying to educate myself about clay quality , but living in Taiwan,
where there are so many factory teapot imitations, it is hard to
learn. I really appreciate it :D!

恭禧發財!
Hi Xiaobai,

It is great to hear that you are passionate and keen to find out. I am sure your knowledge is very good too. Unfortunately it is not an easy path and it is good to be cautious. Go slow and be patience. I am still learning too.

Yes there is a lot of fake 70s teapots done in the late 90s in Taiwan. I visited a few Teahouses in Taiwan and seen quite a number of it. But Taiwan also has a lot of great stuff.

In the last few days I have visited a few tea houses and antique shops in Malaysia and some of the recent 70s fake in the market are getting harder and harder to spot. Pretty scary that they go to the extent to fake a factory production pots to that level!

Have a great holidays and a great year ahead. Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Cheers! :D

Feb 19th, '15, 02:37
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Re: Official/Different Yixing Show Off Topic!

by steanze » Feb 19th, '15, 02:37

+1 thanks a lot Teaism for all the knowledge you share here on teachat and on your awesome blog. It is not so easy to learn about old pots in the west (few opportunities to see the authentic pots and to be able to handle them) - I often wonder if some pots I see are real or very good fakes.

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Feb 19th, '15, 05:20
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Re: Official/Different Yixing Show Off Topic!

by Teaism » Feb 19th, '15, 05:20

steanze wrote:+1 thanks a lot Teaism for all the knowledge you share here on teachat and on your awesome blog. It is not so easy to learn about old pots in the west (few opportunities to see the authentic pots and to be able to handle them) - I often wonder if some pots I see are real or very good fakes.
Hi Stenze,

Thanks a lot and I am humbled by your kind words.

Well likewise for me too, I am also unsure about some pots that I own but it is good to keep them until u meet someone or learn how to authenticate them. I lost some great pots last time thinking that they are mediocre but when my knowledge caught up with those pots, they were given away already. Sigh!

Tea knowledge is too vast so it it is good to be be patience. It is a hobby which we frequently discover our past mistakes or misunderstanding.

Have a great day!

Cheers! :D

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Feb 19th, '15, 05:50
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Re: Official/Different Yixing Show Off Topic!

by Tead Off » Feb 19th, '15, 05:50

Here in Bangkok, we see many newer teapots from Taiwan that are 70's in style. You also see them on ebay. Fortunately, we also see some teapots that are actually old! I saw these the other day. There was a discussion on TC about old duanni and how they came in pairs. About US$3000. each. :D
old pots.jpg
old pots.jpg (47.13 KiB) Viewed 1095 times

Feb 19th, '15, 05:52
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Re: Official/Different Yixing Show Off Topic!

by xiaobai » Feb 19th, '15, 05:52

+10 Teaism!

Your words are those of the great masters:

Always learning and always humble.

It is a real pleasure to read your blog and to have you around on TC.

It reminds us of the most important things about Tea! :D

Feb 19th, '15, 06:11
Posts: 104
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Re: Official/Different Yixing Show Off Topic!

by xiaobai » Feb 19th, '15, 06:11

Tead Off wrote:Here in Bangkok, we see many newer teapots from Taiwan that are 70's in style. You also see them on ebay. Fortunately, we also see some teapots that are actually old! I saw these the other day. There was a discussion on TC about old duanni and how they came in pairs. About US$3000. each. :D
Are those real 70s pots?

The price is twice the price of a (supposedly) Qing dynasty
Ju Lun zhu that I was shown the other day in Taipei!

Vendors in Bangkok are real "high-flyers" :D !

[Of course, with my knowledge, no intention to buy anything like that at all :mrgreen:]

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Feb 19th, '15, 09:03
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Re: Official/Different Yixing Show Off Topic!

by Tead Off » Feb 19th, '15, 09:03

xiaobai wrote:
Tead Off wrote:Here in Bangkok, we see many newer teapots from Taiwan that are 70's in style. You also see them on ebay. Fortunately, we also see some teapots that are actually old! I saw these the other day. There was a discussion on TC about old duanni and how they came in pairs. About US$3000. each. :D
Are those real 70s pots?

The price is twice the price of a (supposedly) Qing dynasty
Ju Lun zhu that I was shown the other day in Taipei!

Vendors in Bangkok are real "high-flyers" :D !

[Of course, with my knowledge, no intention to buy anything like that at all :mrgreen:]
Those are late Qing teapots that were probably commissioned by Thai royalty and hi-so folks. Most of them are polished and lined with silver and other metal around rim, spout, lid.

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Feb 19th, '15, 11:48
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Re: Official/Different Yixing Show Off Topic!

by kyarazen » Feb 19th, '15, 11:48

xiaobai wrote: I am trying to educate myself about clay quality , but living in Taiwan,
where there are so many factory teapot imitations, it is hard to
learn. I really appreciate it :D!

恭禧發財!
You're actually in the best place to learn and to pick up pots if you meet the right people.. :) there are many teapot based gatherings and many high level collectors... if you can find someone whom has the items and willing to share with you on how the material, firing, shapes, design, "essence/spirit", evolved through critical periods in yixing.. it can be enlightening very quickly.

there was a nice "请饮" gathering a week plus ago.. from some of the pictures a friend had sent me... wished i was there to attend it in person.. :P

Feb 19th, '15, 13:06
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Re: Official/Different Yixing Show Off Topic!

by steanze » Feb 19th, '15, 13:06

I think there was also a class about Yixing in Wistaria tea house last spring... I don't know how good it is. I wanted to go for a short trip but couldn't (had to write my dissertation).

Feb 19th, '15, 22:17
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Re: Official/Different Yixing Show Off Topic!

by xiaobai » Feb 19th, '15, 22:17

Thank you, Kyarazen and Steanze, for your valuable input. And thank you Tead Off for the pictures of those nice Thai Royalty Qing pots.

I will look for knowledgeable people here. I will also ask my teachers in Taipei and Taichung to teach me more more about tea ware. So far, we have been spending a great deal time learning how to tell apart Vietnamese from Taiwanese Oolong, which is very interesting, but we really do not drink that much Gaoshan, especially in Winter/Spring... :wink:

Feb 22nd, '15, 00:16
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Re: Official/Different Yixing Show Off Topic!

by steanze » Feb 22nd, '15, 00:16

Oh, I know very little, I am happy I could help :)

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