Identify These Teapots Please!

[Maitre_Tea]

I had ransacked my attics before with great success (I recently netted some awesome aroma cups), so I decided to make another foray today, which got me some awesome finds. Most of the teapots are too big for my brewing purposes, but I'm curious to their authenticity. (Some of them seem a little fishy to me). I know it's impossible to judge a pot from photos alone, but until I can get these pots to the local tea heads around here, this will have to do (please bear with the crapload of photos)



I like the laughing Buddha on this one



The spout broke off on this one, but it seems functional, the seal on the bottom is interesting...and if it's the real deal, than I just found a really awesome pot.



Really funky text on the pot itself (what it says) and an even more funky chop mark, which makes this one the most suspect.


This one is pretty much the only one I could use for gong fu cha, but it's still a little on the large side.


The chop mark on this one isn't even centered I think, and the pot is very weird.

Any comments would be lovely, I think my house has more of these "treasures," I just need to wait for my mom to get back so I can ask her!

[tingjunkie]

I'm so confused... How is it that your attic holds various types of Yixing pots that you know nothing about? How did they get there, who did they belong to, and why can't you ask them for info? Do you live in the house from 'Goonies' or something?

I'm pretty jealous actually... the only "treasures" in my attic are my old Ninja Turtle and GI Joe toys, and our Christmas decorations.

[Maitre_Tea]

This eclectic collection of pots belonged to my uncle and grandfather, who brought them over to our house from Taiwan over the years. When I inquired on their authenticity my mom said that they were pretty inexpensive. After looking at some of these pots though, they are pretty bad quality IMO.

But on the bright side, I found two Zi Ni pots which are of pretty good quality...will post photos later when it's no longer as hot as hell in my backyard

[Chip]

Even if they are not the greatest pots, they should find a home at least on display somewhere. Great scott, when we cleaned out my parents attic several years ago, there were no treasures such as these.

[Maitre_Tea]

Okay, more treasures that I dug up...including two pots that are serviceable, although one of them has a funky chop

These three come from a set of about 4-6, and the middle one came from Hong Kong, and was bought sometime before the handover. The one on the very right is very weird, reminds me of those Chawan (there's a name for them, but it escapes me)


This chop is weird, and it might make this one a fake...but if it is, it's a good fake. It brews pretty good medium-roasted Oolong. I wish I had taken a pre-cleaning photo, because there was a thick layer of patina which made me think the clay was much darker.I love the way the clay feels in my hand.


The chop doesn't really say much, but the clay feels nice in my hands. Once again, wish I had taken a pre-cleaning photo...the patina made the pot look much darker in color. It has pretty good balance on water, and I think if it weren't for the chip on the lid, the balance would be perfect. Brews up a mean cup of high roasted Oolong

[tingjunkie]

Wow. Nice finds MT! I love finding old heirlooms like that- regardless of their "monetary value" they should be treasured.

I don't read a bit of Chinese, but In my mind, the pot with the phone number on it looks like something you would get for free when opening a bank account! Like the equivalent of a free pen or calendar!

[MarshalN]

Pretty interesting pots you got there.

The first, third, fourth, and fifth are all regular stuff, nothing to write home about, although nonetheless curious to find in your attic. The third is from Taiwan -- the words on the side is an address and phone number for a shop in Taiwan.

The second one in the first post is an interesting pot. How big is it? Have you tried cleaning it? It looks like it has patina on it.

The second set of two pots look to be higher quality than the first set. The first of the two is the most interesting of all the pots you have here, I think. The chop I've never seen. It is a curious thing, really.

The second one is just a standard China Yixing pot. Will do the trick for regular brewing.

[Maitre_Tea]

About the telephone # on the teapot, it's actually a store down the street from my grandfather's place in Taiwan. I haven't cleaned the pot yet, because I wanted to see what others thought of them...my grandmother said my uncle might have bought it in Yixing. Of course, that doesn't actually mean anything or say anything about its authenticity.

Concerning the size, I'd guess it's about 200 ml, perhaps larger...maybe 250 ml or something? Also, concerning the possible period for the 1st pot of the second batch, my mom said she would see her dad (my grandfather) using the pot when she was 18...so without giving my mom's age away (she would kill me if i did that), the pot was bought during the late 70s

[chrl42]

nothing really hooked my eyes..

third one reminds me of xiáng xīng chá háng pot
http://teadrunk.org/viewtopic.php?id=27

second ones of first/second posts are rather interesting..
though I think with a gentle removing of dust might help a little bit more..