A new old Yixing teapot.. ---> A SHAM

[Baku]

Hi
I've just bought this little teapot in a local shop... unfortunately I'm not so skilled in yixing teaware, and the seller barely dated it to 1950-60. No extra info..

So I'll really appreciate any further clues regarding it. Can you help?

thanks,
Baku

[Baku]

three more pics in detail...

[tingjunkie]

Woah... that's gnarly looking! What kind of shop did you find that in?

I'll leave the speculation up to the pros, but I think you could clean it up and have a pretty sweet pot there.

[Baku]

Woah... that's gnarly looking! What kind of shop did you find that in?

yes.. I agree with you.. it looks gnarly, but I'm going to clean it, even if at present I don't think to use it... Anyway, I got this teapot in a jewelry that deals in semiprecious stones and oriental antiques ( ). It's a bargain...

baku

[Baku]

Well.. I've just finished to clean and wipe this yixing and.. it's a phony!

As I stated at the beginning, I'm not in deep with this kind of teaware, but sadly the dark purple color turned red under hot water and both inscription and decoration are now pale brown.. so I guess it must be a reproduction seasoned using shoe polish (or something similar) and getting it mouldy.

I paid a modest amount but, of course it sounds like a swindle to me as it hasn't been described as a replica.

so my last curiosity around this teapot is about its true age.. is it a latter-day fake as I suppose or not? ...silly issue I know, but I'd like to hear your opinions.

Baku

ps. a memo for me: not enough skilled? first read read and read, then buy...

[Chip]

Bummer ... I truly know little about Yixing, but when you showed your pot, all I could say was, "hmmm." This is one reason I have not taken the Yixing plunge. The Yixing market is full of smoke and mirrors.

But I have been looking at some new Yixing from sources I have found here on TC.

[Baku]

Yep.. smoke and mirrors.. you're right.
I was lured by the earnest ambience of the shop.. and they also gave me a certificate of origin!

[Chip]

Yep.. smoke and mirrors.. you're right.
I was lured by the earnest ambience of the shop.. and they also gave me a certificate of origin!

Kiwi? (shoe polish factory )

[edkrueger]

Do you mind posting the "certificate?" I'm a bit curious.

[Seeker]

I wondered when I first saw it, and was waiting for others to chime in as I am a yixing novice.
However, I have a tea shop I trust a lot, and they have several museum replicas of famous yixing pots mixed in their displays of tea. I imagine these pots are made for decoration and display purposes only, as the shop staff have told me these pots are absolutely NOT for use or sale.
When I saw your pot, I was reminded of these display pots (not sure how or why - some similar character).
Although, in your closeups, I could see that there was some sort of what I thought was "glazing" (that you now refer to as shoe polish or some such), and close inspection of the display pots at my fav tea shop does not reveal such a quality.
So very, very sorry to hear you were swindled, but not for much $ loss I hope?

[Baku]

Do you mind posting the "certificate?" I'm a bit curious.

Unfortunately I'm not at home now so I can't post it.. anyway don't imagine a very elaborate document. it's a simple card with the name of shop. the seller wrote on it something like "teapot made in China 1950-1960".
that's all..

[IPT]

I'm sorry you got scammed.
Can you show a photo of the teapot cleaned?

[beachape]

I really have no idea about antiques, but i do own a few yixing pots. I've never seen an yixing look like that though. It looks like marble. The duanni clays can get mixed colors, but thats more of a speckled appearance. Tea stain can change colors, but not in a marbled sort of way. Also the tea stains would tend to stick to the angles, letterings, crevasses and such. In this picture it looks like the rubbed something white over the lettering to give it an effect, but this would not happen with tea stains.

I'm a bit of a novice, so someone correct me if I'm wrong.
Anyways I hope you didn't loose too much on it. I hate the feeling of getting ripped off. Thats why I have a fear of car dealers.

[odarwin]

its clearly a sham even in the first pics you sent...

the question is the purpose of buying... are you planning on using it?
well i hope you dont cause you wouldnt even want to be touching it, who knows what they really put in to it to make it look old.

-darwin

[Baku]

So very, very sorry to hear you were swindled, but not for much $ loss I hope?

thanks.. very kind of you.. and not so much bucks..