My Yixing teapot

[hutu]

Hi!

I purchased a very cheap teapot from Aliexpress, claimed to be "Yixing teapot".

Well I'm not sure if it's actually authentic or fake, I mean the material (clay) used to make the teapot. Anyway the pot clearly seems low quality as per some details: its lid doesn't fit really well etc.

But beyond that, something really called my attention, as I didn't expected the interior to look like you can see in the picture. It seems some glaze or something was added to the teapot (and not really well either).

What do you think? What could exactly be? Right now I even wonder: is it even safe to drink tea from this teapot?

I'm confused

[Enjex]

Hi!

I purchased a very cheap teapot from Aliexpress, claimed to be "Yixing teapot".

Well I'm not sure if it's actually authentic or fake, I mean the material (clay) used to make the teapot. Anyway the pot clearly seems low quality as per some details: its lid doesn't fit really well etc.

But beyond that, something really called my attention, as I didn't expected the interior to look like you can see in the picture. It seems some glaze or something was added to the teapot (and not really well either).

What do you think? What could exactly be? Right now I even wonder: is it even safe to drink tea from this teapot?

I'm confused

i personally wouldnt drink anything from that pot. cheap/fake pots are coated in the way that your pot is to make it appear that it is real yixing. in such cases, it is impossible to know what materials are in the clay or in the glaze/paint. i would advise you to only use that pot for decoration.

[hutu]

Thanks for sharing your view, Enjex.

I asked the seller and got this reply:

"There is a layer of glaze on the outside of the ceramic. It is a kind of a craft. Don't worry".

Unfortunately it doesn't make me feel at ease, as you can see the glaze layer isn't just outside.

I mean, I even boiled and curated the teapot, and also brewed and drinked a couple of teas before starting to worry a bit. I'm still alive but who knows?

I'll write them again just to see what they say.

BTW: anybody knows or has a hint of what material might this teapot have been made from? I mean, looking at the inside.

Regards.

[Emmett]

Wow... That's not an yixing teapot... Or even a teapot for use as was said... I would return it...

[hutu]

I guess it was too cheap to be true!

What about this one? Does it look real and a trustworthy seller?

https://www.amazon.com/Ufingo-Chinese-Y ... 00CSDK52A/

I'm not looking for a premium quality teapot, or made by a famous craftsman. Just want it to be a real zisha clay, not a fake.

Regards.

[CheekyChipmunk]

I guess it was too cheap to be true!

What about this one? Does it look real and a trustworthy seller?

https://www.amazon.com/Ufingo-Chinese-Y ... 00CSDK52A/

I'm not looking for a premium quality teapot, or made by a famous craftsman. Just want it to be a real zisha clay, not a fake.

Regards.

As the adage goes, ‘if it’s too good to be true...’ I’m afraid I must wholeheartedly agree with Emmett and recommend that you not consume anything that has been in that pot. At the least it is not what was advertised and MAY be safe to use, but you won’t know unless you have it sent to a lab and tested, by which point you could have used the same money to buy a safe and genuine Yixing pot.

I would say that if you really want a genuine, decent quality zisha pot from an online store, you will need to be comfortable spending at least $100 USD. If not, I would simply reconsider how much you actually want one. If you are ok with this, I would point you towards either Essence of Tea for an older, entry-level Factory 1 pot or Yunnan Sourcing for a contemporary pot which uses decent clay. I have examples of both of these sources in my own personal collection and in my highly unqualified opinion, I believe the Yunnan sourcing pots to be better performing than a generic, 90’s clay F1. Good luck!

[bagua7]

Here’s a vendor that sells real Yixing pots:

http://ebay.to/2GUFUlF

[carmeloneo]

throw it and don't buy any Yixing teapot lower than $30