Please help to identify craftsmen mark

[Teaism]

These are shoe polish pots. I would not use them. Search 'shoe polish' on the forums.

I just paid $300 for this pair!! Are you certain?

I'm afraid the economist is right. There are a number of ebay sellers, mostly based in USA, that put up famous name teapots and all have the same patina. While the workmanship looks good on many of these pots, they are copies and have fake patinas. Not sure if the interiors of the pots have the same 'shoe polish' effect so you may still be able to use them after removing the exterior stains.

+1

[chrl42]

I would argue that the teaware is part of the tradition. It doesn't take years to see the pot change. To toot my own horn, this is the result of less than a month of use:
http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?f= ... 65#p260274

Without better pics I can't say for sure. I've recently acquired a bunch of pots from Origintea and I can say buying from there is safe. Those pots, as far as I can tell, are real 80s factory pots, and I have yet to see another vendor offer those types of pots at similar qualities for similar prices.

Qing Yin Zhong Guo Wu Long Cha..is 70s, Factory1 custom-ordered pots (Hongni),

current price around 7000~10000(+)RMB (over 1000USD)

80s had Qing Yin' Qing Shui Ni version, current price around 2000~3000 (400USD)

above are the classic ones, and there are also pots made in 80s and 90s, but doubtful they were Xiamen Company's custom-ordered ones,

correct me if I'm wrong

Some are of the view that the first batch qing yin pots go back as far as mid 60s, and some think mid 70s, or late 70s.

It's not so difficult, actually. Because the very potters who made that, Lu Qiao-ying, Zhang Mei-yun, Jin Yin-feng, Zhao Zhi-qin they are still alive.

Some experts might know them in person, I've seen a seller who contacted Zheng Mei-yun (who perhaps the youngest of them), to make Qin Ying teapot 2000 version

[SilentChaos]

I would argue that the teaware is part of the tradition. It doesn't take years to see the pot change. To toot my own horn, this is the result of less than a month of use:
http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?f= ... 65#p260274

Without better pics I can't say for sure. I've recently acquired a bunch of pots from Origintea and I can say buying from there is safe. Those pots, as far as I can tell, are real 80s factory pots, and I have yet to see another vendor offer those types of pots at similar qualities for similar prices.

Qing Yin Zhong Guo Wu Long Cha..is 70s, Factory1 custom-ordered pots (Hongni),

current price around 7000~10000(+)RMB (over 1000USD)

80s had Qing Yin' Qing Shui Ni version, current price around 2000~3000 (400USD)

above are the classic ones, and there are also pots made in 80s and 90s, but doubtful they were Xiamen Company's custom-ordered ones,

correct me if I'm wrong

Some are of the view that the first batch qing yin pots go back as far as mid 60s, and some think mid 70s, or late 70s.

It's not so difficult, actually. Because the very potters who made that, Lu Qiao-ying, Zhang Mei-yun, Jin Yin-feng, Zhao Zhi-qin they are still alive.

Some experts might know them in person, I've seen a seller who contacted Zheng Mei-yun (who perhaps the youngest of them), to make Qin Ying teapot 2000 version

Sure, the mei-yun 2000 remake was well documented. There were also other potters (aside from those 4) who made the original qing yins. By the way, I'm wondering what you would call the mei-yun 2000 version, since they weren't commissioned by xiamen?

In any case, I think we're getting way off topic here....
My apologies.

[leshka]

Thank you all for the information!!
Basically there is no way to know for sure if the tea pots are fake or not, right? And if the patina was shoe polished. I should receive the pots in a couple of days. And I have two days to return them free of charge. What can I do to use this time wisely?

The seller sold about 10 completely different pots. Some of them over $1000. There are teapots like this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ZK539-Chinese-Y ... 7675.l2557

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ZK512-Chinese-Y ... 7675.l2557

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ZK506-Chinese-Y ... 7675.l2557

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ZK508-Chinese-Y ... 233945735a

What is your opinion on the following sellers:
http://www.lifeinteacup.com/teapots
or
http://www.teavivre.com/yixing-clay-tea ... tribid=178

Do you see anything worth buying? (i don't have much money, but willing to make a lifetime investment) I do tea ceremony with my kids every morning now. This is wonderful thing to do! It would be sooo nice to do this with proper teaware.

[Tead Off]

Thank you all for the information!!
Basically there is no way to know for sure if the tea pots are fake or not, right? And if the patina was shoe polished. I should receive the pots in a couple of days. And I have two days to return them free of charge. What can I do to use this time wisely?

The seller sold about 10 completely different pots. Some of them over $1000. There are teapots like this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ZK539-Chinese-Y ... 7675.l2557

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ZK512-Chinese-Y ... 7675.l2557

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ZK506-Chinese-Y ... 7675.l2557

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ZK508-Chinese-Y ... 233945735a

What is your opinion on the following sellers:
http://www.lifeinteacup.com/teapots
or
http://www.teavivre.com/yixing-clay-tea ... tribid=178

Do you see anything worth buying? (i don't have much money, but willing to make a lifetime investment) I do tea ceremony with my kids every morning now. This is wonderful thing to do! It would be sooo nice to do this with proper teaware.

Jiang Rong's teapots, which you have 3 illustrated here, will sell for a lot of money. The pair below sold for HKD600K.

Jiang Rong 'Hundred Fruit' HKD600K.jpeg (10.75 KiB) Viewed 845 times

These pots that you show are very nice copies, but they are fake. You didn't get lucky, you got taken. Don't feel bad. It happens to all of us. Save your money for your kid's education.

[the_economist]

Thank you all for the information!!
Basically there is no way to know for sure if the tea pots are fake or not, right? And if the patina was shoe polished. I should receive the pots in a couple of days. And I have two days to return them free of charge. What can I do to use this time wisely?

It depends on what you mean by fake. It is possible to tell most of the time whether the pots are really purple clay or not as you get experience and if you have them in hand. People often post pots on here and get pretty good answers to their queries. Reading Marshaln's blog would go very far: http://www.marshaln.com/tag/yixing/

Distinguishing between older pots and newer remakes can be more difficult, or between a mid 80s or late 80s pot etc. That type of analysis that Chrl42 is talking about is much less important, I think looking directly at clay quality is often much more useful.

Those shoepolish pots, however, are definitely fake and possibly not even purple clay. I would be nervous to use them even if you did get the shoepolish off. At least ebay lets you get your money back!

[Chip]

Congratulations on being able to get your "Teaware Tuition" refunded!!! Most of us have paid a tuition in some form or another when we began our journey. And most of us were not so fortunate.

[leshka]

Thank you for your advices and support. I am grateful to you for your help. It is a little sad that I'd have to ship these beautiful teapots back and a bit frightening that i need to look for something else )) But I learned valuable lesson.

[kishkin]

Hi everyone,
I have a similar request for help identifying the craftsmen. I picked up a piece at Salvation Army store a few days ago and dying to find anything out about these teapot. Florent Weugue, a Japanese Tea Instructor and Director of Product Development & Research at http://www.thes-du-japon.com, was very kind to reply to my email informing that the artist's name is Taigetsu, who made pottery with white and green clays. I am unable to find any info regarding this artist by doing Internet search. Perhaps someone here came across that name, or can read Japanese to collect more info from the photos? Any advice is appreciated.
I don't seem to be able to attach the files, probably due to the size restrictions, so here is the link to the album with pictures of that teapot.
https://plus.google.com/photos/10945791 ... 1048361025

[Tead Off]

Well, you already have the artist's name and you know it is Bankoyaki. Sometimes there is no other info to be had if the artist is not handled by a web-seller who is promoting his work. Having bought it at a 2nd hand store, you probably bought it for a very good price. Lucky you.

[kishkin]

Thanks Tead Off,
Yes, the price was only $2.00, so I do consider myself lucky. I am probably pushing my luck, trying to see if someone can provide more info
Mr. Florent mentioned in his reply to me that the artist is no longer alive.

Is there a special trick to upload the pictures?

[Tead Off]

Ask Chip, the moderator, for help in uploading photos. You can PM him.

Many Banko potters have come and gone who have no bio on the web. Yours looks like it was made within the last 20 years.

[kishkin]

Thanks again!
I find it fascinating. I definitely need to educate myself on teas and tea-wear, as I have no experience with it other then trying some teas at different shops/"factories" on my tours in China. Even bought some, supposedly young, green tea in the village near Suzhou where they grow it. I did like a Yunnan pu-ehr though, I tasted in the presentation shop in Northern Sichuan. Of course if it was a fake, I wouldn't tell a difference , but it left a pleasant, nutty aftertaste that lasted a long time