Sharing My First (Possibly Antique) Teapot

[WeedyTeas]

My mother works at a thrift store where all sorts of interesting things are brought in from time to time. However this beaten-up box was going to be thrown out so she looked inside and then saved it for me. It's got bone or shell bits that slide into loops to keep it shut.

This is my first clay tea pot set, but I've done a little reading about them to know you want to make sure where they came from before brewing some tea in it due to possible toxins in the clay used.
What surprised me the most is it doesn't seem to be as plain -or- as ornate as some of the Yixing I've seen on here while lurking. Doesn't smell like anything aside from a faint trace of old dirt and isn't glazed inside or out.
Weirdest thing is it have four marks on it: the big makers' mark on the bottom of the pot, one at the bottom base of the handle and two on the inside of the lid. The box makes me think it's a set purchased mainly by tourists, what do you guys think? (Personally, I love the way it looks even if I may never be able to use it or know it was part of a small number.)

[jayinhk]

I'm using a pot a lot like that one right now. Looks to be 90s zini--good for cooked pu erh. Give it a good wash with plain water and then run boiling water through it and see if you smell anything. The box is a pretty standard box for the Chinese market and I've seen them around since I was a kid (I live in Hong Kong) but never with a Yixing teapot in them. Either way, looks like a good pot. I paid $60 or so for mine from chawangshop.com , although mine is a little lower profile.

[WeedyTeas]

I'm using a pot a lot like that one right now. Looks to be 90s zini--good for cooked pu erh. Give it a good wash with plain water and then run boiling water through it and see if you smell anything. The box is a pretty standard box for the Chinese market and I've seen them around since I was a kid (I live in Hong Kong) but never with a Yixing teapot in them. Either way, looks like a good pot. I paid $60 or so for mine from chawangshop.com , although mine is a little lower profile.

90s, huh? This teapot ended up in South Central US and is very far from home... that also explains why it seems to be in better shape than the box itself! That is to say they didn't use it but it seems to have been cared for.
Thanks for that info and it's nice to meet you!

I'll give it a wash and boil tomorrow, hopefully it'll hold up. (I have this weird fear any unglazed clay teaware will revert to mud, despite the obviously solid condition it's in.) I, unfortunately, don't have any pu erh on hand.

[jayinhk]

I'm using a pot a lot like that one right now. Looks to be 90s zini--good for cooked pu erh. Give it a good wash with plain water and then run boiling water through it and see if you smell anything. The box is a pretty standard box for the Chinese market and I've seen them around since I was a kid (I live in Hong Kong) but never with a Yixing teapot in them. Either way, looks like a good pot. I paid $60 or so for mine from chawangshop.com , although mine is a little lower profile.

90s, huh? This teapot ended up in South Central US and is very far from home... that also explains why it seems to be in better shape than the box itself! That is to say they didn't use it but it seems to have been cared for.
Thanks for that info and it's nice to meet you!

I'll give it a wash and boil tomorrow, hopefully it'll hold up. (I have this weird fear any unglazed clay teaware will revert to mud, despite the obviously solid condition it's in.) I, unfortunately, don't have any pu erh on hand.

Welcome to TeaChat! Don't boil the pot, it's a great way to break it and the stress isn't good for the clay IMO. Warm it up with warm water and then run boiling water through it several times. It looks unused, so I'd scrub it out with a toothbrush first (no toothpaste) as there might be residual clay dust in it.

Someone from the south was saying he thought he had the only Yixing for hundreds of miles around him; this just proves that they're out there! Even if they're just sitting in gift boxes in someone's attic.

[jayinhk]

Also, see if you can take pics of the stamps. It's possible it's a Factory 1 pot and from the 80s. The pics will help those more knowledgeable than me identify it. Either way, that's a nice teapot!

[WeedyTeas]

I'm using a pot a lot like that one right now. Looks to be 90s zini--good for cooked pu erh. Give it a good wash with plain water and then run boiling water through it and see if you smell anything. The box is a pretty standard box for the Chinese market and I've seen them around since I was a kid (I live in Hong Kong) but never with a Yixing teapot in them. Either way, looks like a good pot. I paid $60 or so for mine from chawangshop.com , although mine is a little lower profile.

90s, huh? This teapot ended up in South Central US and is very far from home... that also explains why it seems to be in better shape than the box itself! That is to say they didn't use it but it seems to have been cared for.
Thanks for that info and it's nice to meet you!

I'll give it a wash and boil tomorrow, hopefully it'll hold up. (I have this weird fear any unglazed clay teaware will revert to mud, despite the obviously solid condition it's in.) I, unfortunately, don't have any pu erh on hand.

Welcome to TeaChat! Don't boil the pot, it's a great way to break it and the stress isn't good for the clay IMO. Warm it up with warm water and then run boiling water through it several times. It looks unused, so I'd scrub it out with a toothbrush first (no toothpaste) as there might be residual clay dust in it.

Someone from the south was saying he thought he had the only Yixing for hundreds of miles around him; this just proves that they're out there! Even if they're just sitting in gift boxes in someone's attic.

I imagine directly boiling the pot itself is bad for it, I meant the water but eh.

With the trend of "I don't know what it is and we probably can't sell it, throw it in the dumpster" of the thrift store and people here in general, I wouldn't be surprised if theirs -is- the only one for a hundred miles or so.

Edit: As for the hot water then boiling water, the pot has a faint muddy smell that vanishes quickly. The outside repels water while it seems cling to the inside. Almost no odor when filled with boiling water and poured out through spout.

[jayinhk]

I'm using a pot a lot like that one right now. Looks to be 90s zini--good for cooked pu erh. Give it a good wash with plain water and then run boiling water through it and see if you smell anything. The box is a pretty standard box for the Chinese market and I've seen them around since I was a kid (I live in Hong Kong) but never with a Yixing teapot in them. Either way, looks like a good pot. I paid $60 or so for mine from chawangshop.com , although mine is a little lower profile.

90s, huh? This teapot ended up in South Central US and is very far from home... that also explains why it seems to be in better shape than the box itself! That is to say they didn't use it but it seems to have been cared for.
Thanks for that info and it's nice to meet you!

I'll give it a wash and boil tomorrow, hopefully it'll hold up. (I have this weird fear any unglazed clay teaware will revert to mud, despite the obviously solid condition it's in.) I, unfortunately, don't have any pu erh on hand.

Welcome to TeaChat! Don't boil the pot, it's a great way to break it and the stress isn't good for the clay IMO. Warm it up with warm water and then run boiling water through it several times. It looks unused, so I'd scrub it out with a toothbrush first (no toothpaste) as there might be residual clay dust in it.

Someone from the south was saying he thought he had the only Yixing for hundreds of miles around him; this just proves that they're out there! Even if they're just sitting in gift boxes in someone's attic.

I imagine directly boiling the pot itself is bad for it, I meant the water but eh.

With the trend of "I don't know what it is and we probably can't sell it, throw it in the dumpster" of the thrift store and people here in general, I wouldn't be surprised if theirs -is- the only one for a hundred miles or so.

Edit: As for the hot water then boiling water, the pot has a faint muddy smell that vanishes quickly. The outside repels water while it seems cling to the inside. Almost no odor when filled with boiling water and poured out through spout.

Using it with tea will get rid of that smell. If you're looking for shu pu erh, try yunnansourcing.us.

[WeedyTeas]

I'm using a pot a lot like that one right now. Looks to be 90s zini--good for cooked pu erh. Give it a good wash with plain water and then run boiling water through it and see if you smell anything. The box is a pretty standard box for the Chinese market and I've seen them around since I was a kid (I live in Hong Kong) but never with a Yixing teapot in them. Either way, looks like a good pot. I paid $60 or so for mine from chawangshop.com , although mine is a little lower profile.

90s, huh? This teapot ended up in South Central US and is very far from home... that also explains why it seems to be in better shape than the box itself! That is to say they didn't use it but it seems to have been cared for.
Thanks for that info and it's nice to meet you!

I'll give it a wash and boil tomorrow, hopefully it'll hold up. (I have this weird fear any unglazed clay teaware will revert to mud, despite the obviously solid condition it's in.) I, unfortunately, don't have any pu erh on hand.

Welcome to TeaChat! Don't boil the pot, it's a great way to break it and the stress isn't good for the clay IMO. Warm it up with warm water and then run boiling water through it several times. It looks unused, so I'd scrub it out with a toothbrush first (no toothpaste) as there might be residual clay dust in it.

Someone from the south was saying he thought he had the only Yixing for hundreds of miles around him; this just proves that they're out there! Even if they're just sitting in gift boxes in someone's attic.

I imagine directly boiling the pot itself is bad for it, I meant the water but eh.

With the trend of "I don't know what it is and we probably can't sell it, throw it in the dumpster" of the thrift store and people here in general, I wouldn't be surprised if theirs -is- the only one for a hundred miles or so.

Edit: As for the hot water then boiling water, the pot has a faint muddy smell that vanishes quickly. The outside repels water while it seems cling to the inside. Almost no odor when filled with boiling water and poured out through spout.

Using it with tea will get rid of that smell. If you're looking for shu pu erh, try yunnansourcing.us.

Thanks for the recc. I'll check it out!

[jayinhk]

Enjoy! Rinse twice and let that first brew sit in the pot for a while, maybe even overnight. Discard that brew, clean your pot and then drink the second batch. That should get rid of the smell.