Wow, Tim ... very 'Hobbity', me likes.
Thanks for sharing with us.
Jun 11th, '10, 12:35
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TIM
Re: Official/Different Yixing Show Off Topic!
HobbityMrs. Chip wrote:Wow, Tim ... very 'Hobbity', me likes.
Thanks for sharing with us.


Jun 12th, '10, 00:58
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Re: Official/Different Yixing Show Off Topic!
That looks like it wants a nice, earthy, smoky, WOODY puerh to be brewed in it.
Re: Official/Different Yixing Show Off Topic!
Damn.TIM wrote: Master Craftsman tree branch/bark Old Duan Ni Yixing. 300 ml. from the early 80's.

A lucky find!
Well, after checking every antique store, flea market, and tag sale I've been to for the past 10 months, I finally got lucky and unearthed a "real" Yixing pot. Or did I...?
At first I thought this pot might be modern Xiao Hong Ni due to the orange-ish color, but after some inspection and advice from a friend, it may actually be a hand thrown Chou Zhou pot, perhaps from the 70's-80's. It's around 120ml, medium fired, and the lid fit and pour are fantastic. Quick with no drips. If you have any knowledge or guesses as to what this thing is, please let me know. Either way, for $7 I really can't complain.
Side View. Funky knob.

Double Chop

Inside.

No chops under the lid.

A comparison shot with an 80's Hong Ni Shui Ping to show the color
difference. I have used and seasoned the Shui Ping some, but the new
pot is decidedly more orange.

At first I thought this pot might be modern Xiao Hong Ni due to the orange-ish color, but after some inspection and advice from a friend, it may actually be a hand thrown Chou Zhou pot, perhaps from the 70's-80's. It's around 120ml, medium fired, and the lid fit and pour are fantastic. Quick with no drips. If you have any knowledge or guesses as to what this thing is, please let me know. Either way, for $7 I really can't complain.
Side View. Funky knob.

Double Chop

Inside.

No chops under the lid.

A comparison shot with an 80's Hong Ni Shui Ping to show the color
difference. I have used and seasoned the Shui Ping some, but the new
pot is decidedly more orange.

Re: Official/Different Yixing Show Off Topic!
Back when I very first began learning about Yixing pots, I had no idea that it was somewhat rare to find a Kyusu styled pot. (Foolish newb me!) Ever since then, and after learning a heck of a lot more about Yixing pots, I've sort of wanted to get one. After a weekend trip to Flushing, Queens that dream has been realized! Yep, it's another Chinatown steal for me.


Sorry for the dark lighting here...

Clay: Zi Ni. High fired for zi ni. Rings when tapped.
Size: 110 ml
Age/Year: Modern- late 2000's.
Walls: Quite Thick
Pour: +/- 5 sec. Multiple hole. Crazy fast! No drips. Perfect lid fit.
Source: Shop in Flushing, Queens
Tea Pairing: Gao Shan (rolled Taiwanese high mountain oolongs) for now...
Info: I'm sure the pot was made for export to the Japanese market- it is quite high fired for a zi ni pot, which points to its intended use with Japanese green teas (a lower fired clay will begin to smell funky with sencha, gyokuro, etc). When I bought it, I knew the small lid opening was going to be a limiting tea-pairing factor and would rule out any tea with long/twisted leaves. The walls are very thick and hold in heat quite well. I already have a nice Tokoname kyusu for Japanese greens, and honestly I don't drink them all that much to begin with. On the advice of a friend, I tried some Gao Shan the other night. I was worried the purple clay would take too much of the aroma and high notes away, but as it turns out, it didn't. It made a truly excellent brew in fact. The thick walls really threw a ton of heat at the tea (what I think Gao Shan really needs in order to shine) and brought out a new depth of flavor.
Further tea testing will be required...



Sorry for the dark lighting here...

Clay: Zi Ni. High fired for zi ni. Rings when tapped.
Size: 110 ml
Age/Year: Modern- late 2000's.
Walls: Quite Thick
Pour: +/- 5 sec. Multiple hole. Crazy fast! No drips. Perfect lid fit.
Source: Shop in Flushing, Queens
Tea Pairing: Gao Shan (rolled Taiwanese high mountain oolongs) for now...
Info: I'm sure the pot was made for export to the Japanese market- it is quite high fired for a zi ni pot, which points to its intended use with Japanese green teas (a lower fired clay will begin to smell funky with sencha, gyokuro, etc). When I bought it, I knew the small lid opening was going to be a limiting tea-pairing factor and would rule out any tea with long/twisted leaves. The walls are very thick and hold in heat quite well. I already have a nice Tokoname kyusu for Japanese greens, and honestly I don't drink them all that much to begin with. On the advice of a friend, I tried some Gao Shan the other night. I was worried the purple clay would take too much of the aroma and high notes away, but as it turns out, it didn't. It made a truly excellent brew in fact. The thick walls really threw a ton of heat at the tea (what I think Gao Shan really needs in order to shine) and brought out a new depth of flavor.
Further tea testing will be required...

Last edited by tingjunkie on Jun 1st, '11, 01:48, edited 1 time in total.
Jun 22nd, '10, 18:42
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Re: Official/Different Yixing Show Off Topic!
Must confess to just a wee bit of jealousy over these Chinatown finds...
Re: Official/Different Yixing Show Off Topic!
Thanks ladies! I have indeed been on a lucky streak lately when it comes to good Yixing deals.
I'm just hoping I don't outgrow them in the near future. I will say, finding these inexpensive (but decent quality) pots has been very helpful in developing my tea/pot pairing skills.

Re: Official/Different Yixing Show Off Topic!
awesome thread, i live in KCMO... we have the famous Nelson Atkins CHinese art collection in our city, but once when i had just started collecting Yixing pots went to their curators shop that used to be located right down the road/somewhere downtown. They had 2 Yixing pots that must have been from the Ching Dynasty period or earlier, but they were incredible in the sense that they were crafted in a much higher degree than the typical collectable/affordable pots i buy(used to collect anyway). They had a more mystical vibe to them, since they looked pre-revolutionary in their design and feel. One was small, flat and round, but with dragons on motifs on it and dragon spout and dragon on the lid. The spout was squarish and extremely thin in it's craftsmanship. The other was green colored and had a dog creature on it. At that time i only wanted to buy pots that i would actually use so i passed them up... they were only asking $120 a piece!!! i obviously should have bought them.
Most modern cheaper pots look made to order without that ancient lineage feel to them, unless you can afford the amazing master artisan pots like the one above.
I'll be crude since i haven't used my pots in years. I only brew green teas now. My pots have collected dust in a drawer.
my first Yixing pot



the one in my avatar


forgive me and mods also, if i can't offer personal info on makers etc, i never got into it that far when i used to collect them. ANybody let me know if they want to see a few more of my collection... i am too lazy to get into detail other than a random photo, so i hope that's permitted via this thead.
Most modern cheaper pots look made to order without that ancient lineage feel to them, unless you can afford the amazing master artisan pots like the one above.
I'll be crude since i haven't used my pots in years. I only brew green teas now. My pots have collected dust in a drawer.
my first Yixing pot



the one in my avatar


forgive me and mods also, if i can't offer personal info on makers etc, i never got into it that far when i used to collect them. ANybody let me know if they want to see a few more of my collection... i am too lazy to get into detail other than a random photo, so i hope that's permitted via this thead.
Jul 4th, '10, 22:19
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TIM
Re: Official/Different Yixing Show Off Topic!
Interesting, so you were told they are from the 1910s? And you paid around $120 for each?
Re: Official/Different Yixing Show Off Topic!
scrap the antique quality,TIM wrote:Interesting, so you were told they are from the 1910s? And you paid around $120 for each?
lol, i just got curious... i visited that shop 12 years ago they have shops in KCMO and Kansas, they are still there and they import Japanese/asian textiles and such so looking back i doubt they are authentic antiques although i still wish i had purchased the dragon motif pot.
Some sellers try to make mass produced pots look old, my sister bought me a few as gifts over the years, i had to clean the muck off one because they had stained it with some brown stain... i probably never should have used it now that i think about it(toxic stain?) i used a toothbrush and baking soda to clean the stuff off and it was yellow clay underneath.
all the pots i have pictured are mass produced made to order, but a few i bought from Hong Kong might be limited number like the phoenix/dragon pot... i paid about $100 for that i think. These types of pots are probably really cheap over there, maybe $20 at most? lol.
EDIT:
since i've been digging through my little collection i thought i'd ask the experts on this site/mods if they could help me figure this teapot out... my sister bought this about 6 years back at some local "antique" shop. I figured it was just a fake, or some typical mass produced slipcasted pot out of Taiwan or Hong Kong.


HAD to post this, from the Craig catalogue... if only i could afford to waste $ on such things.



it's only $2200 ;P (http://www.redhillchina.com)
Re: Official/Different Yixing Show Off Topic!
I've had these Yixing for quite a while, but thought I'd do a post to show them off a bit.

The left pot is from Yunnan Sourcing. 110ml, "dragon egg" shape. The clay is called "Da Hong Pao" and has developed a nice shiny patina. I use it for young shengpu. It rounds them out pretty nicely!
The right pot is a bit more expensive. Purchased from Jing, it is 150ml and has a wonderful lid fit and pour. Truly a well made Yixing. The clay is Pin Zi Ni and I use it for Wuyi Yancha.
Love them both!!!


The left pot is from Yunnan Sourcing. 110ml, "dragon egg" shape. The clay is called "Da Hong Pao" and has developed a nice shiny patina. I use it for young shengpu. It rounds them out pretty nicely!
The right pot is a bit more expensive. Purchased from Jing, it is 150ml and has a wonderful lid fit and pour. Truly a well made Yixing. The clay is Pin Zi Ni and I use it for Wuyi Yancha.
Love them both!!!
Jul 8th, '10, 13:42
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debunix
Re: Official/Different Yixing Show Off Topic!
That little egg shape is almost as attractive to me as the much flatter squat ones. Very nice. Hard to imagine such a sweet pot allowing a harsh tea out. The other one is also lovely, but a bit more stern--I can imagine it letting you take your lumps if you really blew an infusion.
Re: Official/Different Yixing Show Off Topic!
@nickE, i like both of those pots, especially the one on the left. I need to finally buy a more traditional shaped Yixing pot.
I tend to like the more fantastical designed pots though, i like brewing in them and realizing i have this strange vessel with magical elixir swirling within it haha. I might get one of the frog pots from that Craig site i linked... that or one of the old tree designed sets. I even like that Rhino one. Freak out the friends by busting out a rhino tea pot from China lol.
I tend to like the more fantastical designed pots though, i like brewing in them and realizing i have this strange vessel with magical elixir swirling within it haha. I might get one of the frog pots from that Craig site i linked... that or one of the old tree designed sets. I even like that Rhino one. Freak out the friends by busting out a rhino tea pot from China lol.