Tian qing ni 天青泥 has taken on a legendary status for many Yixing teapot enthusiasts. Said to be the finest variety of zini (Yixing purple clay), most of the information available about tian qing ni can be found in sources that rely on ancient references to the clay as well as surviving examples of antique tian qing ni teapots and the raw ore (such as the examples found today in the Yixing Ceramics Museum).
The first time we met Chen Chunhong and Lin Hanpeng was at the tea table of their shop in Guangzhou. Chen Chunhong chatted with us as she poured us each a cup of shu pu'er. Her husband Lin Hanpeng was discussing clay with some customers. At the time the two were very busy with a growing customer base - thanks largely to word of mouth among zisha (Yixing Clay) enthusiasts in the city. Their shop was known for the authenticity of its teapots - only using original ore zisha and focusing on functionality. They worked with a few reliable artists out of Yixing. They soon left their shop in Guangzhou to establish their own studio in Yixing.
Teapots with ball filters have a somewhat dubious reputation in China. For many, having a ball filter is a sign that a teapot is cheap or low-quality. To understand where this reputation comes from and how fair it is, it helps to look at where this design came from and how it has been applied.
We were very happy to talk with Mr. Chen Feng-Ji this week. A promising young sculptor working in the medium of porcelain, Mr. Chen has devoted the last decade to improving his craft, first under an apprenticeship and then as a contract sculptor. Since 2016 he has been running his own studio, producing sculptures and tea ware for the Chinese market, and since 2019, for the international market.
We admit to a bias when it comes to tea. Although we sample widely, there are a few varieties we always seek out and that we just enjoy more than others. When it comes to oolong, we just can’t seem to get enough of Taiwanese high mountain tea. It was only a matter of time before we made our selection to bring you some of our favourite Taiwanese tea.*
Agate, a form of quarts, is believed to be one of the key ingredients in Song Dynasty Ruyao, and was available in the area surrounding the kilns in Ruzhou. Today most true ruyao / fanggu ruyao use silica powder in lieu of agate since it has the same chemical formula - Si02 or silicon dioxide. While the basic chemical formula is the same, the form of Si02 matters in terms of cost of sourcing and manufacturing. SiO2, whether from agate or silica, is the ingredient that gives ruyao its cloudy depth.
A beautiful sky blue glaze that is both shiny and cloudy gives ruyao its defining characteristic that is best described as “jade-like.” True ruyao or fanggu ruyao can be distinguished from cheap mass-produced factory “ruyao” by this characteristic, as well as by its composition and the steps in its manufacture.
Unlike clays such as zini or hongni, the use of jiangponi for teapots does not have a long history stretching back hundreds of years. In fact, jiangponi is a very young addition to the family of clays used for Yixing teapots, only having been discovered several decades ago.
Much has been said about the legendary "Dahongpao" clay from Yixing. Some say it's rare, others that it's extinct, others that it's still available, and others that dahongpao teapots are fake. There is some truth in each of these claims.
A block of zhuni from Huang Long Mountain 黄龙山 sits ageing at the studio of Chen Chunhong and Lin Hanpeng. Curious to see whether or not the clay had aged long enough, Lin Hanpeng took a small amount to shape into a cup and fire this week.
Tian qing ni 天青泥 has taken on a legendary status for many Yixing teapot enthusiasts. Said to be the finest variety of zini (Yixing purple clay), most of the information available about tian qing ni can be found in sources that rely on ancient references to the clay as well as surviving examples of antique tian qing ni teapots and the raw ore (such as the examples found today in the Yixing Ceramics Museum).
This is part 2 of our interview with Lin Hanpeng, the co-owner along with Chen Chunhong, of an Yixing Teapot Studio.
The first time we met Chen Chunhong and Lin Hanpeng was at the tea table of their shop in Guangzhou. Chen Chunhong chatted with us as she poured us each a cup of shu pu'er. Her husband Lin Hanpeng was discussing clay with some customers. At the time the two were very busy with a growing customer base - thanks largely to word of mouth among zisha (Yixing Clay) enthusiasts in the city. Their shop was known for the authenticity of its teapots - only using original ore zisha and focusing on functionality. They worked with a few reliable artists out of Yixing. They soon left their shop in Guangzhou to establish their own studio in Yixing.
Teapots with ball filters have a somewhat dubious reputation in China. For many, having a ball filter is a sign that a teapot is cheap or low-quality. To understand where this reputation comes from and how fair it is, it helps to look at where this design came from and how it has been applied.
We were very happy to talk with Mr. Chen Feng-Ji this week. A promising young sculptor working in the medium of porcelain, Mr. Chen has devoted the last decade to improving his craft, first under an apprenticeship and then as a contract sculptor. Since 2016 he has been running his own studio, producing sculptures and tea ware for the Chinese market, and since 2019, for the international market.
We admit to a bias when it comes to tea. Although we sample widely, there are a few varieties we always seek out and that we just enjoy more than others. When it comes to oolong, we just can’t seem to get enough of Taiwanese high mountain tea. It was only a matter of time before we made our selection to bring you some of our favourite Taiwanese tea.*
Agate, a form of quarts, is believed to be one of the key ingredients in Song Dynasty Ruyao, and was available in the area surrounding the kilns in Ruzhou. Today most true ruyao / fanggu ruyao use silica powder in lieu of agate since it has the same chemical formula - Si02 or silicon dioxide. While the basic chemical formula is the same, the form of Si02 matters in terms of cost of sourcing and manufacturing. SiO2, whether from agate or silica, is the ingredient that gives ruyao its cloudy depth.
A beautiful sky blue glaze that is both shiny and cloudy gives ruyao its defining characteristic that is best described as “jade-like.” True ruyao or fanggu ruyao can be distinguished from cheap mass-produced factory “ruyao” by this characteristic, as well as by its composition and the steps in its manufacture.
This week we look at another kind of Yixing clay, and a subtype of zini (purple clay), called original ore Qinghuini 原矿青灰泥.
Unlike clays such as zini or hongni, the use of jiangponi for teapots does not have a long history stretching back hundreds of years. In fact, jiangponi is a very young addition to the family of clays used for Yixing teapots, only having been discovered several decades ago.
Much has been said about the legendary "Dahongpao" clay from Yixing. Some say it's rare, others that it's extinct, others that it's still available, and others that dahongpao teapots are fake. There is some truth in each of these claims.
A block of zhuni from Huang Long Mountain 黄龙山 sits ageing at the studio of Chen Chunhong and Lin Hanpeng. Curious to see whether or not the clay had aged long enough, Lin Hanpeng took a small amount to shape into a cup and fire this week.
