"Antiques are the Jewels sedimented in history" -- by TrueOrDie Antique
Yixing Zisha teapots are a special kind of teapot made of Yixing Zisha. They are unique in that they are enjoyed both by their art work and usage. What's more appealing is that "the more and longer it is being used, the better it looks". We call this property as "the Yixing Zisha appeal".
Over the years, I have collected over hundreds of Yixing Zisha teapots (majority of them are fine artwork and quite a few are masterpieces). According to my experiences, Yixing Zisha teapots can be divided into the following 5 categories:
Chemical teapots
None Zisha (most modern produced commodity) teapots
Old (Commodity) Zisha teapots
Zisha teapots of Fine Artwork
Masterpieces
Type 1 Chemical Teapots
Chemical teapots are made of clay added with modern chemicals, usually have very bright colors. These chemicals are added to cover the bad appearances of the original clays. These teapots are toxic and cannot be used.
Type 2 None Zisha Teapots
(most modern produced commodity after 1990s) teapots do not have modern chemicals added, but do not have Yixing Zisha clay either. They are not toxic, but do not have the Zisha appeal either. The reason why I put modern commodity so called Yixing Zisha teapots into the None-Zisha category is the high cost of the Yixing Zisha clay. In the year 2014, my antique mentor went to a famous Yixing Zisha clay provider. The cheapest costs $300/pound. What kind of teapots can you buy below $100? In 2015, I went to a Yixing Zisha shop owned by a craftsman. $130-180 are cookie-cut made. $220 are semi-cookie-cut.
None-Zisha Teapot
Type 3 Old Commodity Zisha Teapots
Type 3 Old (Commodity) Zisha teapots are those made before 1980s. At that time and most of the time before, Yixing Zisha teapots were cheap. There are no reason for counterfeiters to make Type 1 or Type 2 teapots. They may not look as beautiful as those of Fine Artwork or masterpiece. But they are made of Yixing Zisha nonetheless, and therefore have the Yixing Zisha appeal.
Color Teapot of the Late Qing Dynasty
Color Teapot of the Late Qing Dynasty
Type 4 Fine Art Work
Type 4 are pieces of fine artwork made in the past or modern times. They are usually made of top quality Yixing Zisha clay, aesthetically appealing.
WU Yueting Teapot
QingDeTang Teapot of Zhu Clay
Type 5 Masterpieces that Transcends Times
We recommend collectors collect old Yixing Zisha teapots. There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, compared to modern artwork, old pieces are not really that expensive. Secondly, old teapots usually have very good quality Yixing Zisha clay, which would have a good appeal property. Lastly, old teapots have high historical and cultural value.
Masterpiece by XU Hantang
Masterpiece by ZHU Kexin
Masterpiece by PAN Yiyuan
Masterpiece by YANG Jichu
Peerless Treasure by YANG Pengnian
Peerless Treasure of "Da Qing Qianlong Nian Zhi"
How do we tell old from new ones?
By Yixing Zisha clay - old teapots usually have darker color, bigger and rougher sand particle size, particle of different sizes.
By craftsmanship - old teapots use fewer tools and therefore not perfectly made and have more clues of how it is made.
By marks
What kind of Yixing Zisha clay are good clay?
They are easy to have the Yixing Zisha appeal. Some top clays can show you the difference within a couple of week's usage.
They have a strong sand appearance.
They are beautiful
After a longer period of times (usually 5 years or more), they can have some kind of semi-transparent appearance, like jade or precious stone. By that time, the clues and marks left by handcrafting are readily available to be spotted by your eyes.
What are top Yixing Zisha teapot?
Beautiful teapots: beauty of clay, craftsmanship, shape, artwork, spirit and soul.
What is beauty?
There are several kind of beauty. In the order of importance they are:
Gu1Zhuo2 （古拙） -- ancient looking.
Da4Du4 （大度）-- grandiose or magnificent
Qing1Xiu4 （清秀）-- handsome or pretty
Qv4Wei4 （趣味）-- interesting
Handmade vs Cookie-cutter
Handmade teapots are of art work. Everyone is different or unique. It takes times, craftsmanship, and creativity. They are made of top quality Yixing Zisha clay. It has soul. They are beautiful.
Cookie cutter are commodity. All are similar or even identical. They can be mass-produced. They are made of cheap or non Zisha clay. They do not have souls. They are boring.
