Jun 16th, '10, 19:07
Posts: 4
Joined: Jun 16th, '10, 18:55
by FrazzyDee » Jun 16th, '10, 19:07
I bought this teapot on ebay. Looks really nice, but I'm concerned it may not be real zisha clay. Since I've never handled an yixing teapot before, I'm hoping for some advice
Also, it smelt similar to spraypaint when I got it. Should I be concerned about drinking from it?
You can view pictures of the teapot here:
http://to./4jph (long url:
http://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages/sho ... 0&format=0)
There are characters stamped on the bottom (visible in the 5th picture).
The inside of the lid is stamped with three tiny characters which I cannot read (except for the third character, 國). It was too small for my camera to take a good picture of, but I'll try again if it will help.
Thanks in advance!
Jun 16th, '10, 20:37
Posts: 1784
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by tingjunkie » Jun 16th, '10, 20:37
FrazzyDee wrote:I bought this teapot on ebay. Also, it smelt similar to spraypaint when I got it. Should I be concerned about drinking from it?
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but... I wasn't able to access the photos, however you already told me all I need to know. No Yixing teapot should ever smell anything like spraypaint.
I would be quite careful about using it to make tea. If you do, boil it a couple hours in two changes of water first to see if that will help.
Jun 16th, '10, 21:40
Posts: 20891
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by Chip » Jun 16th, '10, 21:40
Put it on a shelf ... makes great display ... you only have one life to live.
Jun 17th, '10, 04:31
Posts: 4536
Joined: Apr 1st, '09, 00:48
Location: Bangkok
by Tead Off » Jun 17th, '10, 04:31
FrazzyDee wrote:I bought this teapot on ebay. Looks really nice, but I'm concerned it may not be real zisha clay. Since I've never handled an yixing teapot before, I'm hoping for some advice
Also, it smelt similar to spraypaint when I got it. Should I be concerned about drinking from it?
You can view pictures of the teapot here:
http://to./4jph (long url:
http://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages/sho ... 0&format=0)
There are characters stamped on the bottom (visible in the 5th picture).
The inside of the lid is stamped with three tiny characters which I cannot read (except for the third character, 國). It was too small for my camera to take a good picture of, but I'll try again if it will help.
Thanks in advance!
FrazzyDee(
),
That's a rather cute teapot. I have no reason to believe this is not a yixing pot. The smell is a different story. There are many possibilities of why a pot smells. Storage is a big one. This could have been stored amongst paint supplies or developed some kind of mold if kept in a damp place. It could have been kept in a plastic wrapper that had a strong odor or chemical. Who knows? Did you ask the seller about this?
The next step is to try and remove the smell. Submergence in gently boiling water for an hour or 2 may do it. Baking soda made into a paste and thickly applied all over the pot, in and out, and left for 1 or 2 days may help. As a last resort, a dilute bleach soaking or vinegar soaking may do it. Whatever method you try, if you succeed getting rid of the smell, as a last step, boil the whole pot with a strong dose of tea in the water for an hour or so. Let us know what happens.
