There have been important strides in the growth of Yixing Chinese tea sets, here are just a few of them:

Let’s Get Started: Using Purple Clay for Teapots

It is estimated that the first purple clay teapot was crafted some 600 years ago, during the powerful Ming dynasty. Tea itself was experiencing an explosion in popularity, so more and more people were searching for new kinds of teapots to go with it.

At that time, many people in Yixing were already using purple clay to make pots and jars for storing dry goods, like rice and vegetables.

 

But taking this clay to make teapots all started with a poor boy named Gong Chun, who lived with a teapot master. Gong Chun wanted to learn to craft teapots, but the master never taught him.

One day while on a walk in the countryside, he saw people making the usual pots out of purple clay. He decided to make his own teapot out of this clay, because no one had ever done it before and eh thought it was quite beautiful. He bought a pile of it, took it home, and secretly made his first teapot.

The pot was very simple, had many flaws, and was nothing special to look at. But what he found amazed him: the clay brought the best out of any tea he put in it.

He showed others in his town, and they started asking him to make pots as well. This is how Yixing took its first steps on the road to fame.

Further Development: One Dynasty to the Next

As the Ming dynasty continued, artisans found that purple clay was quite easy to mold into fine china tea sets and they developed teapots that were increasingly intricate. Many started imitating bronze sculptures of the time, which had a very royal feel.

 

 

Pots featuring lions, dragons, and other symbols of imperial power were common at this time.

But the dynasty eventually fell, and there was a period of unrest across the country. Once the new ruling family took control, art in Yixing once again flourished.

Potters started looking at things in nature for their designs: trees, nuts, flowers, birds, mountains and other jewels of China became very common designs. Also, attention to detail increased, as the potters began to sign their work or stamp it with their personal seals.

As time went on, calligraphy, paintings, poems, and other forms of art were incorporated into Yixing purple clay teapot designs. The invention of new tools enabled artists to do things previous generations had only dreamed of.

Modern Day: Revival of The Old

Purple clay teapot art continued to develop into the 20th century, but was stymied yet again in the early to mid 1900’s because of war and social unrest.

But over the last few decades, many new faces and new ideas have contributed to the creation of some fascinating pots. These artists tend to combine old ideas such as calligraphy with new visions of the world. Using abstract shapes and modern objects, they create pots that are truly a sight to behold.

But the opportunity to work with this revered material is increasingly rare: the Chinese government has protected purple clay from constant exploitation, and now only a set amount of it can be mined each year. So take this opportunity to get your very own genuine Yixing Chinese tea set!

But by that time, and even well before then, there were many towns and cities across China doing similar work. So there’s a question to be answered: how did Jingdezhen set itself apart from all of the others, and who is responsible for the huge growth in the Jingdezhen china tea set industry?

Zhao Kai: The Creator

Almost all experts agree that the china tea set trade in Jingdezhen would not have reached its current state if not for one man named Zhao Kai.

Zhao was a powerful government official during the Jin dynasty (265-420 A.D.) who became disillusioned with the ruling family. At that time, corruption was rampant and Zhao decided to leave his post.

 

He moved to Jingdezhen, which was a largely unknown town, even within China. Zhao went there and studied one of his favorite hobbies: porcelain.

But Zhao was no amateur when he arrived. He had already studied the latest techniques of molding, firing, and glazing Chinese tea sets while at his government post in a larger city.

What he found in Jingdezhen was a proverbial backwater: the craftsmanship was poor, pieces were frequently wasted, and there was little training or education on crafting porcelain.

The one saving grace of Jingdezhen was its special clay. This clay was pure white and rock hard when fired, making it easy to mold into thin, elaborate shapes. So Zhao decided to stay and see what he could do with this new material.

 

 

 

Zhao used this clay to make his own Chinese tea sets, and taught the local people how to fire the clay properly. In those days, firing was no easy task, as the kilns were heated by wood and no thermometers were available. So Zhao taught the locals his techniques, improving the porcelain production in the whole area.

Not only that, he taught them how to select the best clay, mould it into fine shapes, glaze it so it would shine bright, and keep the clay’s strength even though the items could be paper thin.

Because of his contributions to their town, the people of Jingdezhen later built a temple to memorialize Zhao Kai, and called him their “master teacher.” Even today, he's considered the father of Jingdezhen china tea sets.