2012.91.198, Yixing teapot; probably 21st century
Eason Eige Collection; photo by T. Ocken
2012.91.198, Yixing teapot; probably 21st century
Eason Eige Collection; photo by T. Ocken
Yixing teapots are made from special clays mined near the city of Yixing in Jiangsu province. The clays were first mined about a thousand years ago, and wares made from the clays have been exported to the West for several centuries. In the past couple of decades, collecting Yixing teapots has become a global fad, thanks to their distinctive shapes and styles.
Yixing teapots are unglazed, unpainted stoneware. Differences in color are achieved using different clays or by adding mineral oxides to clays. The unlgazed stoneware absorbs traces of flavor as the pots are used, so that a seasoned Yixing pot enhances the tea-drinking experience. Purists take this process a step further, by using use different Yixing pots for different flavors of tea.
Many people simply collect Yixing pots for their varied designs. In response, potters strive to come up with unexpected new designs. The teapot shown above is based on a pomegranate fruit, with the red inner seeds partly exposed on the side of the pot. The teapot is 4 1/4 inches (11 cm) tall. To see the pot with the lid on, please click here To see the teapot with its presentation box, please click here.
To read about an Albuquerque resident's trip to Yixing, please click
here. You can see three of that individual's
Yixing teapots on
this page.
To see additional example of Yixing
teapots, please click on the thumbnails below.
See source code for photo credits and copyright information. Page last revised on March 3, 2016. Please report problems to toh@unm.edu
