Context (Production / use)
Dingshu town is known in China as the "pottery capital". Such teapots have been produced in the area at least since the 16th century. They are known as "zisha" or "purple sand" ware, due to the peculiar hue of one of the types of clay used. Teapots made from the clay found in the region are said to make the best vessels for brewing tea, due to the properties of the clay, in particular its exceptional porosity. This has insured their popularity over the Chinese territory and overseas, in particular in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan. They are very rarely glazed, as this would impair the properties of the clay. These tea vessels were the first type of Chinese ceramics to be exported to Europe, during the 17th century, and historically were exported to Thailand and Japan.Zisha teapots are "constructed" out of shapes cut out of sheets of leather-hard clay. In the case of round teapots, the sheet of clay is wrapped around a round base, and "patted" into shape using a round disk or hand-turned wheel. 

A peculiarity of the zisha tradition is that, since the 16th century, craftsmen stamp their name on the pot, usually on the base, under the lid and sometimes under the handle. This practice was interrupted during the time of the Cultural Revolution, where only the stamps of work units could be applied to pots. There are four main designs in Yixing pottery, round, square, ribbed, and naturalistic (made to resemble trees, fruit, vegetables or animals). Basic criteria for evaluating a pot are: balance, in particular the handle and spout should, aesthetically, balance each other out; harmony of the different elements (body, lid, handle and spout); technique, for instance spout and handle should be exactly aligned, and the lid should fit exactly; quality of the clay.A note in Chinese characters on a piece of paper inside the pot gives the artist’s name, the name of the pot, the material and the pot’s capacity.(bio): Hu Yongcheng was the student of Li Bifang. This teapot is in the shape of the type of stone used in traditional houses to support the central pillar. It is made to be particularly functional, with an efficient tea filter, and large mouth for placing and emptying the tea leaves.
Event Date
Author: maa

Context (Field collection)
Collected in 2004 by Geoffey Gowlland during PhD fieldwork
Event Date 2004
Author: rachel hand

Description (Physical description)
Small, cylindrical teapot with black scene and lettering. The pot and lid are made from a mixture of zisha and benshan-lu clays.A: Teapot made from light yellow-brown clay. There is a scene on one side of the pot and Chinese characters on the other. The designs are etched into the clay then filled with a black colour. The picture shows three figures, perhaps children, sitting on the ground and perhaps playing a game or doing calligraphy. The larger lettering is perhaps lines of poetry or a prayer. The smaller letters give the name of the calligrapher and the date he inscribed the pot. On the base of the pot is a stamped seal giving the artist’s name, and black Chinese characters saying that he made and designed the pot. There is a also a small stamp at the base of the handle giving the artist’s family name.B: Lid. A small ring at the centre of the lid has a separate ring attached through it. The ring can be used to attach a string which ties the lid to the handle of the pot - no string is present in this example. There is a small stamp inside the lid giving the artist’s family name.
Event Date 2005
Author: maa