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| Purple Clay Tea Pot |
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The yixing purple clay teapot is reputed as the "first of all
tea-sets in the world" for its unique material and characteristics?
tea inside it does not seep though no glaze is applied on its surface,
tea brewed in it tastes rich and mellow for the teapot is porous;
tea in it does not decay or change its color when kept overnight,
it long retains its full flavor, for the base clay is odorless;
the teapot keeps tea warm in winter, but not hot for the hand in
summer, it does not crack when heated on a stove or when boiling
water is poured in; the longer it is used, the more lustrous it
becomes, the more refined and classic it looks, and the more fragrant
the tea kept in it.
Yixing tea pots are made by a very special unglazed clay material
called "zisha" clay.
Zisha, or purple clay, from which Yixing ware is made, is found
throughout the hilly southern area of the Yixing region. The particular
qualities of this clay substance set the Yixing apart from other
unglazed earthenware teapots. Geologists have pinpointed the origins
of purple clay (Zisha) in the area compressed sedimentary lake
deposits.
There are actually three different varieties of purple clay (Zisha).
The most common of these are the "Zini" or rose-brown
clays. The other two more rare clays are know as "Banshanlu"
or creamy white to light-brown clays and "Zhuni" or
red clays. Chemically, all are composed primarily of quartz, kaolin
and mica and contain high amounts of iron oxide, which lends the
clays their purple-red color.
Purple clay (Zisha) clays are also fairly sandy.
Recognized by artisans and literati centuries ago, these characteristics
of the Zisha or purple clays help to make Yixing pots especially
well-suited for brewing tea. Excavations have shown that the composition
and structure of the clays used in making authentic Yixing teapots
today closely resemble those used in pots from the 1500s and later.
Purple Clay (Zi Sha) Story
How purple clay was found? Here goes a very nice story... ...
It is said that in ancient times, Dingshu was merely an ordinary
village on the lakeshore of Taihu.Villagers went out to farm when
the sun rose and went back home when the sun set, making jars
and pots out of pottery clay for daily uses at leisure. They led
a simple life. One day, however, a wandering monk of unusual appearance
came to the village. He shouted over walking, "Rich and noble
clay! Rich and noble clay! "The villagers were curious and
watched him. The monk, seeing through their hesitation, shouted
again, "If not noble, why not rich?" The people were
even puzzled, staring at him blankly. The strange monk shouted
in a lounder voice and walked on with quicker steps, as if there
were no one else present. Some wise old men felt strange and followed
him, moving towards Huanglong & Qinglong mountains. Suddenly,
the monk disappeared at a corner. The old looked around, catching
sight of several newly-dug hollows, in which was clay of various
colors. They carried the clay home, pounding and firing, and unexpectedly
got a totally different color effect from the past. The villagers
imitated them one after another. Thus, the reputable purple-clay
came into being.The raw material of purple-clay pottery is really
of various colors and called the "clay of clays and rock
of rocks". Purple-clay refers generally to the clay of green,
red and gray color and is produced at Huanglong Mountain in Dingshu,
Yixing, hidden under the yellow rock between the mixed clay mine.
Green clay is the mixed grease and red clay is the stone yellow,
usually under the tender ore bed.
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