How to judge the charm of a zisha teapot? Master the key points of appreciation
1. When you open this article, I believe you must be a friend who cares greatly about the quality of life, and who loves practical artworks of elegant temperament and rich cultural tradition.
2. The cultural characteristics and spiritual functions contained in zisha teapots are also unique. Zisha teapots come in rich and varied shapes, either exquisite and delicate, giving food for thought, or bold and generous, refreshing the mind, and together with the profound inscribed poems and paintings on the surface of the body, they add an even richer scholarly air, and the aesthetic feature of zisha teapots is the cultural element.
3. Integrating calligraphy, seal carving and painting into one, as expressed on a zisha teapot, it concentrates the essence of Chinese culture.
4. The art of zisha shaping unifies these many essences of Chinese culture together, forming an extremely elegant cultural and artistic temperament.
The old shopkeeper's monologue
How to choose a teapot?
There are many varieties of zisha teapots, so how do you choose a good teapot that suits you perfectly? Fang Run suggests you choose carefully from"clay, shape, workmanship, inscription, function"these 5 aspects.
Clay
According to modern scientific analysis, the molecular structure of zisha teapots is indeed different from that of other clays, and even the same zisha clay does not have exactly the same structure, with subtle differences. Thus, because the raw materials differ, the functional effects and the sensory impressions they give are also not the same.
Those with good functional effects are of fine quality, otherwise of poor quality; those with a good sensory impression are of fine quality, and the opposite means poor quality. So in judging the merits of a zisha teapot, the first thing is the merits of the clay. Compared with other pottery clays, one notable feature of zisha is the different feel. Touch an object that is not zisha, and it is like a vitreous enamelware - sticky to the hand, while touching a zisha object is like touching bean paste - fine but not greasy, very comfortable. So in judging a zisha teapot, the feel of the teapot's body surface is very important
Shape
How to evaluate these shapes is also "the benevolent see benevolence, the wise see wisdom"; everyone has their own preference, and it cannot be forced. The teapot shapes of zisha are too numerous to count, and we should not follow others in thinking which shape is good and which is not. Just like schools of art, there is no good or bad, but in the play performed by that school one can still see merits and defects. I think the archaic and unadorned is best, the grand is next, the delicate is next, and the interesting is next again. Why is this so? Because the zisha teapot belongs to the whole tea culture, so the artistic conception it pursues should be the artistic conception pursued by tea: "indifferent and peaceful, transcendent and refined", and the archaic and unadorned is precisely the most harmonious with this atmosphere, so the archaic and unadorned is the best.
Workmanship
Points, lines and planes are the basic elements that make up the form of a zisha teapot. In the forming process of a zisha teapot, they must be rendered perfectly clearly, just like fine brushwork painting: the starting and ending of the brush, the turns and bends, the rise and fall must all be clearly defined. A plane must be smooth when it should be smooth, and textured when it should be textured; a line must be straight when it should be straight, and curved when it should be curved; a point must be square when it should be square, and round when it should be round, with not the slightest ambiguity. Otherwise, it cannot be considered a good teapot. According to the special requirements of the zisha teapot forming craft, the spout and the handle must be absolutely in one straight line, and the weight must be balanced; the joint between the mouth and the lid must be strict. This is also the requirement of "workmanship".
Purely handmade zisha tea sets are very different from machine-made ones. The truly fine workmanship is exquisite, the whole is beautiful, and the surface of the teapot feels rough to the touch.
Inscription
Historically, zisha teapots have been priced by the maker, and famous makers' famous teapots command a hundredfold price. This is especially prominent in a commodity society. Thus the market easily sees many imitations of famous makers' work, and forged fakes are common; one must be especially careful when buying a famous teapot.
Function
The greatest difference between zisha teapots and other artworks lies in the fact that they are artworks with a very strong practical nature; their "art" is entirely "appreciated" in "use", and if the meaning of "use" is lost, the art no longer exists. So one must never neglect the functional beauty of the teapot.
[The functional beauty of zisha teapots]
1. Moderate capacity
2. Proper height
3. Tight-fitting lid
4. Smooth pouring
According to the current tea-drinking habits of people in southern China (including Hong Kong, China and Taiwan, China), generally two to five people drink together, and a capacity of 350 ml is best. Its capacity is just about four cups, and it can be held and carried with only one hand, so it is called a "one-hand teapot". The height of a zisha teapot has its own uses. A tall teapot that is small is suitable for brewing black tea; a short teapot that is large is suitable for brewing green tea, but it must also be moderate; if too tall the tea loses flavor, and if too short the tea easily overflows from the lid, greatly spoiling the mood. What also spoils the mood is a spout that pours poorly; a few tiny gunpowder tea pellets, once in the teapot, all become large leaves, easily blocking the spout, and teapots made nowadays have, according to tea drinkers' habits, changed the spout to a single opening, making the flow noticeably smoother than before. The teapot's lid is required to fit tightly, so that when water is poured over the teapot it falls into the tea tray and does not get into the teapot; this seems to have little to do with functional beauty but is actually for the sake of hygiene, and it must not go unmentioned. All these things are common standards.
Zisha teapot culture
One very important reason why the art of zisha teapots originated, developed and became famous in Yixing is its unique, high-quality zisha clay that is renowned throughout the world. There are many places that produce zisha, so why are Yixing's zisha teapots so famous? It is not only the exquisite craftsmanship and the many great masters; the real reason is still that the zisha produced in Yixing is fine in quality and high in iron content, and after firing into vessels it has good water absorption and air permeability, so when used to brew tea, the color, aroma and taste are all excellent. Therefore, the first standard for judging whether a teapot is good is to look at the clay material, and whether it is authentic Yixing raw-mine zisha.
The beautiful small city of Yixing carries the dreams of teapot makers; it is both life and love. Rather than saying they are making teapots, it is better to say they are passing on a craft...
Thanks to nature's gift, using her countless pits and hollows to create wealth for the human world; China is proud because of zisha, and Yixing is proud because of you.
In our own backyard, in the old house, all the purchased raw zisha ore is piled here after selection and left in the open air to weather, and over time weeds grow all over it. Nowadays many merchants, in order to save time and resources, buy clay material directly from clay-processing factories, but the clay from the factories either easily turns out to be fake, or has not weathered or aged enough, so buying and making it ourselves feels more dependable.
Selecting clay material is an essential daily task; a good teapot must use good material! The aging room is very particular; it must maintain an appropriate temperature, and the door must not be opened and closed freely.
Insist on selling only real zisha
Preserve the original true color of zisha
Everyone says the zisha business is full of hidden depths, but I am a straightforward person and do not like beating around the bush. Four generations of my ancestors have been a teapot-making family, and I have a certain affection for zisha, but no one is perfect and no gold is pure; zisha products each have their own characteristics during firing, and it is impossible for every teapot to be exactly the same. No matter what problems you encounter, you can contact us at any time, and we will certainly give you a satisfactory answer; please forgive any shortcomings!.
We will announce the latest finished zisha teapots on WeChat
The old shopkeeper's heartfelt words
1. Insist on selling real zisha
A gentleman loves wealth but obtains it in the right way. From the day I began learning the craft, I have carefully followed the teachings of my father and ancestors, insisting on selling real zisha and never selling fakes to seek huge profits; a craftsman should cherish his reputation as much as his life.
2. Insist on selling good goods
A good zisha teapot mainly depends on two aspects: first, good material, and second, good craftsmanship, and the quality of craftsmanship mainly depends on the craftsman's state of mind. "Slow work produces fine goods"; slowness is also an attitude. In pursuit of perfect craftsmanship, we must pay more in time costs, and I believe that people who truly understand zisha will appreciate this attitude.
3. Insist on telling the truth
Regarding the question of products and prices, I do not quite agree with the saying "good goods are not cheap", especially in the zisha industry; many zisha teapots double in price after adding the titles of "senior craftsman" and "purely handmade", but the fact is that many friends are cheated. I am not any great master, but I have made teapots for 30 years, and my skill is no worse than a master's. The original intention of running this shop is to restore the true price of zisha.
Insist on selling only real zisha, resolutely suppress chemical teapots, and preserve the original true color of zisha!
Making zisha is not only a skill, but also a blessing and a devotion, and must not be desecrated!
The fine raw-mine Dicaoqing clay material collected from a fellow trader a few years ago; "chicken eyes" can be clearly seen on the surface, and it is very hard to find now.
Clay aging must be kept in a dry, sealed environment; the Dicaoqing clay aged for three years in the family collection has strong plasticity, and the teapots made from it will not crack.
First make the teapot body well, and after careful refinement and modification the surface is smooth as jade; carefully refine the teapot and the handle; do not look down on the small parts, for they are truly the finishing touch.
The neatness of the teapot mouth directly affects the teapot's airtightness, so be extremely careful; you can imitate my teapot, but you cannot imitate my signature and dedicated seal.
The benefits of drinking tea from a zisha teapot
Several methods for identifying real zisha
Generally, real zisha teapots have a plain, unflashy color. Heavy rather than bright; bright hues often mean oxidized metal has been added, which may have adverse effects on the body. In addition, zisha teapots shrink during firing, and different clay materials have different shrinkage rates, so the wrinkles they present also differ. Do not
Pour freshly boiled water into the teapot and pour it down along the body, then cover with the lid. You will see that the water does not flow straight down, but is slowly absorbed dry. The lid slowly becomes moist, and then slowly dries again. This is because zisha has a double-pore structure, a sign of good breathability, and can be used as one basis for judgment.
Yixing zisha clay is mainly composed of clay, quartz, mica, etc. These minerals make the zisha teapot fine to the touch, but not smooth (unlike porcelain and glazed ware). A zisha teapot with a smooth touch is either fake clay or has gone wrong in some process, and you should buy with caution.
Zisha teapots have relatively high density; weigh it in your hand, and there is a sense of heaviness; the inferior the teapot, the lower its density and the lighter and more frivolous it is. To judge the merits of a zisha teapot by weight, one must frequently handle high-quality zisha teapots and master their sense of weight.
Opening and nurturing a zisha teapot
[Opening the teapot]A newly kilned zisha teapot does not have much luster and is dull, and it cannot be used directly to brew tea, so a new teapot first needs to be "opened"; its purpose is to remove impurities and fire heat from inside the teapot.
1. Warming upRinse the newly bought zisha teapot inside and out once to remove surface dust, then put it into a pot with no oil stains, add water three times its height and boil for 15 minutes; in this way the earthy smell and fire heat of the teapot will be removed.
2. Reducing firePut tofu into the teapot, add double the water and boil for 5 minutes. The gypsum contained in tofu has the effect of reducing fire, and can also decompose the residual substances in the teapot.
3. Nourishing,Cut sugarcane open and put it in the pot. If there is no sugarcane, you can put in some sugar, then boil for another 5 minutes. The natural sugars of sugarcane can give the teapot unprecedented nourishment.
4. Rebirth,Choose your favorite tea leaves and put them into the teapot to boil for 5 minutes. In this way the teapot is no longer a "lifeless" dead object; after being reborn, it has absorbed the essence of the tea leaves, and the first brew can already leave fragrance on the tea drinker's lips and teeth.
[Nurturing the teapot]A truly good teapot, with only good clay, good workmanship and a good inscription, is still not enough; it must also be "nurtured" and "handled" to make the teapot's internal structure change, so that the body becomes finer, moister and softer, radiant in spirit, and warm and moist as fine jade.
A dedicated teapot for a dedicated use, one teapot serving one tea
Because the body structure of zisha is rather special (double-pore structure, molecules arranged in scale form), it can adsorb the tea infusibles in the tea liquor (the water absorption rate of zisha tea sets is 1.6%-7.05%), prompting changes in the body, and can also give off the aroma of the tea brewed. For tea lovers who love teapots and are good at drinking. After obtaining a zisha teapot, after "opening" and maintaining it and removing the earthy fishy smell of the clay teapot, try the teapot with several kinds of tea. According to your own preference, finally decide which tea this teapot will brew, and thereafter keep it unchanged, achieving "a dedicated teapot for a dedicated use, one teapot serving one tea".
Wipe often
In the process of brewing tea, use a cotton damp tea towel carrying the brewed tea liquor to wipe the teapot body, which can effectively help make the teapot clean and tidy. Frequently receiving the nourishment of the tea liquor can help prompt changes in the teapot's body material. Note that when wiping with a tea towel, be cautious and do not wipe too hard. For some teapots whose "workmanship" has curves and whose shape "drools", be careful to wipe the tea liquor under the spout in time, so as to avoid, through long-term poor maintenance, defects in the teapot's overall "patina". For the spout, the joints of the handle, the inner mouth and outer edge of the lid, the knob and other joints, wipe carefully; these "out-of-the-way places" easily accumulate grime, which will affect the overall nurturing effect of the teapot.
For some special models, we do not make them often, so we cannot guarantee they are in stock in time. If you need them, please call in advance to inquire, or place an order! Generally speaking, every newly made teapot we produce will be announced on WeChat, so please follow us in time.
* We will announce the latest finished zisha teapots on WeChat;
* To set your mind at ease,
* Before shipping we can show you photos on WeChat first;
* Follow us in time, and share the charm of zisha teapots together on WeChat;
* Photos taken as-is, no lighting and no processing;
Commitment
⊙Do things with a clear conscience, do one's duty as a person
⊙They are all zisha teapots made in our own home
⊙100% genuine, 100% authentic zisha
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