A book on yixing teapots for beginners?

[ubercmuc]

Hi everyone,

I have bought a couple of yixing teapots from ebay, and they pour well, but from the few posts I've read here, I now know that they're not really yixing because their price was so low (under 50). And that's fine for now, but in the long run I'd like to learn about real yixing teapots.

So, is there a good (comprehensive) book on yixing teapots that I should start with? My limited fund doesn't allow me to buy every book I see on Amazon, nor do the bookstores around me have much on teapots.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated

Another question, if I may, is: how can I tell from the shape of the spout whether a teapot would pour well? Should it be long and slender, and should the lower half protrude a little more than the upper half ?

Thanks, guys!

[tingjunkie]

Welcome to the forum!

Just because you spent less than $50 doesn't necessarily mean that they are not real Yixing. Last year a bunch of us bought little 50ml shui pings on ebay for $10-$15, and they were the real thing.

Sadly, there aren't any great books in English on Yixing pots that I know of, but maybe other members know of ones I don't. I do recommend this one though. It's hardly comprehensive, but it does give the basic history of the art form, profiles some of the top artists, and has lots of nice color photos of the most famous master teapots ever made.

As far as judging the pour, with the exception of looking at a pot that clearly has a crappy lid fit or a teeny tiny spout, it simply can't be done from photos. Real word testing is the only way.

Good luck on your Yixing quest!

[sriracha]

ubermuc-

If you have a camera, why not post up photos of your pots here? Let our experts have a look...

edit...post photos in the Yixing show-off thread.

[ubercmuc]

Thank you for the book recommendation, tightjunkie
That's a little sad about the pouring. Real testing and trial-and-error mean potential loss of money.
So should I go for what fits my aesthetics and hope that it'd pour well too? Then in case it doesn't, at least I have one for decor.

ubermuc-

If you have a camera, why not post up photos of your pots here? Let our experts have a look...

edit...post photos in the Yixing show-off thread.

To be honest, I'm afraid of showing my insignificant pot to the experts

[sriracha]

To be honest, I'm afraid of showing my insignificant pot to the experts

That makes two of us

Jump in together?

[tingjunkie]

Not that serious guys! (And there are far less "experts" on this forum than you might think. I certainly don't qualify.)

[sriracha]

Not that serious guys! (And there are far less "experts" on this forum than you might think. I certainly don't qualify.)

Thank you! I feel a little reassured now. =)

[ubercmuc]

Not that serious guys! (And there are far less "experts" on this forum than you might think. I certainly don't qualify.)

Thank you! I feel a little reassured now. =)

Me too