Mystery Teapot- A fun riddle for Asian teaware experts.

[tingjunkie]

Ok, the clearest photo of the chop that I could manage...

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3814/1131 ... d84b_o.jpg

The line inside the wall of the pot is definitely not from the lid wearing away at the clay. It's definitely the same as whatever is applied to the outside of the pot. If it provides a clue, all of the cups and water pitcher are a lot more uniform in color on the inside than they are on the outside. It's only the outside of the pieces that has the dark rougher textured splotches. You can see better in the high res photo here:

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3720/1129 ... 929c_o.jpg

And for good measure, here's the high res version of the outside of the teapot:

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3810/1129 ... 61aa_o.jpg

[paul haigh]

That first pot is glazed on the outside, no doubt. That could have been approached in several ways- including putting your finger over the spout and dunking upside down, which would create that glaze line.

Pretty convinced the spots were dripped on there on purpose over the glaze or slip.

Bizen tends to be very dense. Someone spoofing Yixing would probably use a porous/less dense clay.

[Drax]

Thanks, TJ!

The middle two are definitely "kibi."

The last one looks like it could be 栄, but honestly it could be anything with that top, and there's at least 5 characters it could be. None of them seem to add anything remarkable.

As for the first character, I can't tell whether the left part is 方 or 勿, and the right side is too lumped for me to tell. Maybe somebody will have better luck...

By the way, it occurred me that I noticed that Bizen potters tend to sign their pottery in a different fashion. It's hard to describe, but here are some examples at Artistic Nippon (here and here). It's more like a scrawl with a tip, and it may or may not actually look like Japanese characters (some of them seem more like generic swoops or lines).

Perhaps such signatures are a modern contrivance, however? I don't know enough. It just made me think that I hadn't seen character stamping on a Bizen pottery before. Again, that doesn't mean it doesn't happen, but I thought it was interesting enough to note.

[JBaymore]

Drax,

I can't get the first or last characters either.

In Bizen more contemporary potters often sign with the kana for the first phonetic sound of their name. And it is often a very "caligraphic" and loose interpretation of that kana. Usually incised in the work with the tip of a pointed stick.

Impressed stamps are and uave been usually reserved for production wares from the generic "kiln name" or the apprentices.

The use of a slip or glaze like that points WAY against Bizen as the potential source unless it is a very atypical piece.

Still researching.... most if I find anything.

best,

...................john

[teaskeptic]

Very interesting set and discussion!

I recall someone on teachat saying that Yixing pots only started to have multi-hole filters in the 1980's. Is this wrong? Maybe this fact has nothing at all to do with Japanese pots.

[Tead Off]

Very interesting set and discussion!

I recall someone on teachat saying that Yixing pots only started to have multi-hole filters in the 1980's. Is this wrong? Maybe this fact has nothing at all to do with Japanese pots.

Yes, it's wrong. There are 100 year old pots from Yixing that have multi-hole filters.

[chrl42]

Very interesting set and discussion!

I recall someone on teachat saying that Yixing pots only started to have multi-hole filters in the 1980's. Is this wrong? Maybe this fact has nothing at all to do with Japanese pots.

I dunno if you indicate a ball filter or just multi-holes.

From what I know, ball filters started on export-to-Japan Yixings by 70s in imitation of Kyusu..multi-holes are very often on ROC Yixings.

[William]

Very interesting set and discussion!

I recall someone on teachat saying that Yixing pots only started to have multi-hole filters in the 1980's. Is this wrong? Maybe this fact has nothing at all to do with Japanese pots.

Maybe you are confusing with ball shaped filter, that from what I know, have started to be used in the 70s/80s.

[teaskeptic]

Very interesting set and discussion!

I recall someone on teachat saying that Yixing pots only started to have multi-hole filters in the 1980's. Is this wrong? Maybe this fact has nothing at all to do with Japanese pots.

Maybe you are confusing with ball shaped filter, that from what I know, have started to be used in the 70s/80s.

Yes, I must have mixed them up! Makes sense. Thanks.

[tingjunkie]

So anyone know why the yuzamashi holds less than half of the volume of the teapot? I'm not familiar enough with senchado for that to make any sense to me.

[Chip]

So anyone know why the yuzamashi holds less than half of the volume of the teapot? I'm not familiar enough with senchado for that to make any sense to me.

In this regard, sometimes sets seem to be well designed ... but it seems more times they are not.

Also, often the pot will only prepare enough tea for 2ish cups while the set has 5 or 6 cups.

[Tead Off]

So anyone know why the yuzamashi holds less than half of the volume of the teapot? I'm not familiar enough with senchado for that to make any sense to me.

Drunken potter.

[Peacock]

So anyone know why the yuzamashi holds less than half of the volume of the teapot? I'm not familiar enough with senchado for that to make any sense to me.

Drunken potter.

The potter probably got his sake mixed up with his tea.

[JBaymore]

Drunken potter.

Where do you think the concept of "wabi-sabi" came from?

best,

............john

[Tead Off]

Drunken potter.

Where do you think the concept of "wabi-sabi" came from?

best,

............john

As you know, I was serious when I said that.

Tomorrow begins the Butoh Festival in Bangkok. Undoubtedly, there will be many drunken wabi-sabi-ists there.