Yixing clay teapot
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An Yixing (simplified Chinese: 宜兴; traditional Chinese: 宜興; pinyin: Yíxīng; Wade-Giles: I-Hsing) clay teapot (also called Purple Sand (simplified Chinese: 紫砂; pinyin: zǐshā; Wade-Giles: tsu sha ) is a traditional pot made from Yixing clay and commonly used to brew tea. It originated in China and is made from clay produced in the region of the town of Yixing, in the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu.
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[edit] Origin
According to literature, during the Ming Dynasty, a monk from JinShaSi (Golden Sand Temple) in Yixing made a teapot from local clay. Over time, such teapots became regarded as fine sculpture pieces[citation needed], and became collectors items to the local inhabitants.
[edit] Ming Dynasty
[edit] 20th century
Yíxīng teapots are not actually made in the regional city of Yíxīng, but rather in nearby Dīngshān, also known as Dingshu, which falls within the administrative area of Yixing. Hundreds of teapot shops line the edges of the town's crowded streets and it is a popular tourist destination for many Chinese. While Dīngshān is home to dozens of ceramics factories, Yíxīng Zǐshā Factory Number 1, which opened in 1958, processes a large part of the clay used in the region, produces fine pottery ware, and has a large commercial showroom. In addition to the better known teapots, frescoes, oil and grain jars, flower vases, figurines, glazed tiling, tables, ornamental rocks, and even ornamental garbage bins are all manufactured in the community.
[edit] Characteristics and use with tea
Yíxīng teapots are meant for use with black and oolong teas, as well as aged pǔ’ěr tea.
[edit] References
- Wain, Peter, "A Taste of Transition: The Teapots of Yixing", Ceramic Review, 153, May/June 1995, pp.42-45
