Official/Different Yixing Show Off Topic!

[Tead Off]

Thanks, TJ, for putting out there what everyone was thinking.



I'll kick things back off with a teapot I acquired recently.

Clay: fine purple ore, low sand content
Size: Usable volume I'd place around 100ml
Use: asamushi sencha (large leaf)

This teapot was made quite some time ago in Yixing for export to Japan. It is a highly suitable utensil for Senchado. The outer wall is thick, but there is a lip inside that is masterfully integrated, to keep tea going up against the lid and dripping out. There is a fine (for the period) multi hole flat filter. Effect of the clay seems superior to my Tokoname.

Brandon,
How can you tell this was made in Yixing for export?

[brandon]

Brandon,
How can you tell this was made in Yixing for export?

Thanks for your interest. After feeling the clay, pouring hot water over it, seasoning it with some tea, and appreciating it next to other purple clay Yixing pots, I found the origin of this pot to be quite clear. I've seen some other Yixing pots for sencha recently that bear the same shape and carving on the knob. The other I found was lacking the calligraphy. Of course, the collector who gifted me this pot was quite clear about it being Yixing as well.

For those just tuning in, there is a long history of Japanese tea heads collecting Yixing pottery starting in the mid 1800s, beginning with basic shapes like Shui Pin and then moving into custom order pots like this lower model - a better fit for sencha.

[gasninja]

Put this ugly duck back into service in this chilly winter.

Clay: Duanni (yao bian)
Volume: somewhere around 130ml.
Walls: extremely thick
Pairing: Wuyi Yancha (high oxidation zhong huo)

My usual Duanni hating does not apply to this yao bian teapot. The clay here behaves like much denser clays, due to the over-firing. The clay combined with the very thick walls can hold a high temp for several minutes.

I'll reach for this one when I'm feeling rough and rocky.

cool looking pot.
It looks diiferent than most duanni. Do you have any other pics?

[brandon]

cool looking pot.
It looks diiferent than most duanni. Do you have any other pics?

Yao bian means something like "kiln color change."
When wood fired Dragon Kiln was the norm for Yixing, temperature control was not as precise as it is today and clays could be over or under fired. Overfired can cause interesting results to the color of the body, like this pot.



Was zhuni, but turned "pig's liver" color.

Nowadays using gas kilns, temperature control is no problem, but sometimes people will use yao bian for artistic effect. The duanni pot above has a lot in common with Bizen ware.

Here is the reverse side of the duanni pot.
(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3449/3296 ... a8f609.jpg)

[Tead Off]

Brandon,
How can you tell this was made in Yixing for export?

Thanks for your interest. After feeling the clay, pouring hot water over it, seasoning it with some tea, and appreciating it next to other purple clay Yixing pots, I found the origin of this pot to be quite clear. I've seen some other Yixing pots for sencha recently that bear the same shape and carving on the knob. The other I found was lacking the calligraphy. Of course, the collector who gifted me this pot was quite clear about it being Yixing as well.

For those just tuning in, there is a long history of Japanese tea heads collecting Yixing pottery starting in the mid 1800s, beginning with basic shapes like Shui Pin and then moving into custom order pots like this lower model - a better fit for sencha.

The reason I ask is because it looks suspiciously like a hobin made with Banko clay. I have seen this shape and style several times and the markings on the knob. Is there a signature anywhere on the pot? I'm aware of the history of Japanese buying Yixing but did the Yixing potters use Japanese style chops in signing the work or the usual chops you see on yixing teapots? I would think Chinese made teapots for the Japanese market would still use Chinese stamps. Just a thought.

[brandon]

Good questions TO - there is no markings on the pot other than what you see on the lid. I do not have much experience with purple banko, but I have a lot with zisha clay. This pot, for me, does not have as much redness to it as banko I have seen, and is a dead ringer for Zi Ni clay. If you have related art available I would like to take a look - the second "Yixing houhin" I found recently for corroboration was an auction that has expired and been taken down.

PS. If there is a lot of Banko like this, I'd take another! Haven't been impressed with their modern wares.

I don't think this is a wheel thrown piece, either. I will post interior later.

[Drax]

I'm curious on the characters that are on the lid of that piece... I'm terrible at reading the 'cursive' style, but the character closest to the camera looks like the one for 'stone' (石)... any idea what the others are?

[TIM]

Put this ugly duck back into service in this chilly winter.

A Kiln Color Change late Qing Dynasty Yixing.
Me and Brandon share the same passion about real 'Kiln Change' yixing.
One of my favorite antique Yixing, dedicated only for 50 years + sheung puerh.

350ml by a famous Qing era yixing studio Qing De Tang 清德堂.



http://themandarinstea.blogspot.com/200 ... incer.html

[tingjunkie]

Nice shiboridashi(SP?) Brandon! You'll have to let me know where you found that.

TIM, as ususal, your pots are junk. ... Just think of me the next time you get the urge to use that one. At 350ml, you need friends to help you drink all that 50 year old puerh!

[Tead Off]

Brandon, this is a houhin of mine that is made from Banko clay. The color of mine looks less red than yours but this may not reflect real life color in both our pots. Too many variables. While yours is not exactly like mine, the basic sense is similar and mine is definitely wheel thrown. Both have an angular quality that is not apparent in teapot shapes of both Yixing and Banko. The houhin from this area seem sharper than most. I'm not doubting that yours may be yixing in origin, just comparing and taking notes. I'd like to see the shape of yours and the interior.

Banko Houhin.jpg (28.28 KiB) Viewed 2479 times

Banko Houhin 2.jpg (24.85 KiB) Viewed 2479 times

Banko Houhin 4.jpg (53.52 KiB) Viewed 2479 times

[brandon]

Hi TO, that is a nice Banko.

Here you can see very well the joinery of the bottom slab to the main body slab, and also, close to the bottom, the joining of the body slab onto itself. The join goes all the way to the top, but you can only see it when light is at a perfect angle, and was difficult to photograph. You can feel it easily.


Here the bottom slab joins the body on the outside. This pot is less than 4 cm tall, and does not have too much in common with your pot. Your Banko looks to have much better function.

[Tead Off]

Mine has some age, not new. Looking at your photos, yours doesn't look like Banko. A single hole is also unusual plus the construction looks slab built. I can't find anything about it that looks Chinese, though. But, you have the advantage of having it in hand and can examine the clay. Unusual houhin.

I'll post some photos in this thread of what is also supposed to be a Yixing export to Japan.

[the_economist]

Hi everyone, I thought I'd post some pictures of my little tree stump pot. It is 400ml, pours nicely, and has two precious little squirrels on it. The details are exquisite and the lid collar is frightfully thin. I am slightly unsure about whether it is molded and would very much welcome any comments on this. Thank you all.

[chicagopotter]

Put this ugly duck back into service in this chilly winter.

Clay: Duanni (yao bian)
Volume: somewhere around 130ml.
Walls: extremely thick
Pairing: Wuyi Yancha (high oxidation zhong huo)

My usual Duanni hating does not apply to this yao bian teapot. The clay here behaves like much denser clays, due to the over-firing. The clay combined with the very thick walls can hold a high temp for several minutes.

I'll reach for this one when I'm feeling rough and rocky.

Where did you find such a beautiful teapot?

[ArNg]

Clay:Zisha
Year:Modern
Pour:12sec +/-
Capacity:100ml
Very good lid fit and adorable looking pot. I was looking for a smaller pot for shou pu and that's the reason I got it. Brewed a session and it pairs very well with shou pu.