In China, a great number of tea lovers are very particular about both tea and tea ware. Naturally, some of them are very keen on purple clay teapots, which they say are the best for brewing tea. One purple clay teapot collector named Liu Tianbao can give us insight into this deep part of Chinese culture.

The Bad Buy

As a child, Liu was greatly influenced by his father’s love of purple clay flowerpots. He was crazy about miniature gardens, so there were a lot of flower pots made of Yixing purple clay in their home. Liu learned the special qualities of purple clay from his father.

Over 30 years ago, there were several curio markets in China’s capitol city. Following his father’s footsteps, Liu started to shop around at places where various folk arts and crafts were sold, looking for valuable purple play.

On one occasion, he went to the Panjiayuan Second-hand Antique Market before dawn and bought nearly fifty second-hand purple clay teapots. When he got home and put the pots into a bucket of water, a terrible thing happened. Some pots lost their spout, and others lost their handles. It turned out that they were defective pots that were pasted together by latex.

Destiny’s Pot

Liu strove to never be duped again. In 1986, he took a shine to a teapot at an antique market in Tianjin. He wanted it for his own collection, but as the price was too high, he gave up. Ten years later, however, he met the teapot again by chance at an antique market in Beijing. There and then he bought it without hesitation.

Based on his research, the creator of this purple clay teapot was Pei Shimin, one of the most distinguished master potters of the Qing dynasty. The teapot was covered with a layer of yellow glaze. Only a master at could complete such a design at that time, as it required the pot to be placed in a kiln at very high temperatures, not once, but twice. At present, you can only find this type of purple clay teapot at the Forbidden City in Beijing.

A Pot is Like a Son

Since he comprehends their inherent value, Liu cherishes his purple clay teapots to the extreme. On one occasion, he got an antique purple clay teapot from a friend. He gingerly put it into his shoulder bag, and rode his bicycle home, singing songs happily.

But unexpectedly, in order to avoid hitting an old man, he rolled and fell off his bike. At that moment, he held the teapot tightly in his arms, and let his hipbone smash into the ground first. Consequently, he was confined to bed for one year. It became a popular story among his friends: Liu would rather break his bone than to break his purple clay teapot!

Since the first batch of damaged teapots Liu bought, more than 30 years have passed. He is very proud of his collection of purple clay teapots. He considers them his beloved sons. He is acknowledged as an outstanding purple clay teapot collector.

Liu believes that a purple clay master blends his life, inspiration, and pursuit in his work. To Liu, each purple clay teapot or even each grain of purple clay represents good taste and knowledge.

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From An Amateur Teapot Buyer To A Purple Clay Teapot Collector

Some interesting Chinese stories related to purple clay teapots have been told for hundreds of years. Here are several that tell us something about finding purple clay, and how much purple clay teapots mean to some fanatical collectors.

Who found purple clay first?

Long, long ago, in southeast China’s small town named Yixing, the locals were enjoying the tranquility of the country life.

But one day, a strange monk showed up at the town. He shouted while walking, “Clay makes you rich! Clay makes you rich!” The villagers looked at the monk curiously. The monk saw the confusion in the villagers’ eyes, so he shouted again, “You can be rich if you are not royal family members!” Hearing these words, the villagers grew more bewildered, and gazed at the monk moving about. Soon the monk raised his voice, and set off in quicker paces.

One sly villager decided to find out the hidden meaning, and went after the monk. In a short while, they were at a nearby mountain. However, the monk was gone. The man tried to find the monk once more, but failed. Instead, he only found several freshly-dug caves. He cautiously came up to the mouth of one cave and looked inside. To his surprise, the caves were full of colored clay.

Now the old man understood what the monk had said, so he brought some of the clay out of the cave. He tried to make some pottery. After firing, the pottery gave him a big surprise. They were in purple, yellow, and green. “Oh, I have never seen pottery with these colors,” the old man murmured. Then he showed the pottery to his friends. They were pleasantly surprised, and called the material ‘purple clay.’

A pauper with his only purple clay teapot

Several hundred years ago, a wealthy man liked drinking tea very much. He would make friends with tea lovers. Regardless of whether they were rich or poor, anyone who paid a visit would be well-received with tea.

On one occasion, a pauper turned up. He asked for nothing but a cup of tea. A servant prepared one and passed to him. The pauper glanced at the tea, and complained that it was not very tasty.

“It seems this man has a taste for fine tea,” the servant thought, and then brought in another cup of tea. The pauper smelled at the tea, and remarked, “This tea is all right, but the water is not good. If only you had mountain spring water.”

“This guy seems to be a tea expert!” the butler murmured, and once again brewed a pot, this time with mountain water. This time, the panhandler took one sip of the tea, and remarked, “The mountain spring is good, but the firewood is not good enough. Hearing these words, the valet wondered is this a real panhandler? He quickly took in some of the best firewood, brewed one more time, and then sent for the landlord to deal with this eccentric visitor.

When the tea was ready, the rich man and the beggar drank a cup of it together. Then the beggar remarked, “Well, this time the tea leaves, water, firewood and fire are good, but the pot is not good.” “This is the best pot I have,” the rich man replied.

The beggar took an exquisite purple clay teapot out of his bosom, and asked the servant to make another pot of tea using it. Sure enough, the tea tasted remarkable. The rich man stood up and made a bow with hands folded in front, and said, “I’d like to buy your pot. Money is no problem. How much do you want?”

The pauper rapidly set the pot in his bosom again, and was about to depart. The rich man bade right way, “I want to buy your teapot at the cost of half of my property.” After receiving no response, the rich man raised his offer, “No, all of my property!” Ultimately, the pauper responded with a smile, “I was once as rich as you, but I would rather become as poor as a church mouse than sell of this pot.”

A purple clay teapot equals a maid’s life?

Once in China, a local administrator cared for purple clay teapots more than anything else. In his collection, he especially cherished an outstanding pot made by the most prominent potter at that time.

But one day a poor servant girl broke the teapot by accident when serving tea. The magistrate got so angry that he registered a claim for the girl’s life.

As this incident reached the potter’s ears, he resolved to save the maidservant and teach the administrator a lesson. He ran to the administrator’s dwelling with ten choice purple clay teapots he crafted hanging on his carrying pole. He offered, “Choose one of my most precious teapots, and set the maidservant free.”

The magistrate was very glad to hear that. He selected a purple clay teapot that he liked best, and then set the poor girl free.

After that, however, the magistrate said, “Could you sell the other teapots to me as well?” The master potter didn’t reply, but with a sweep of his shoulder pole broke all the remaining pots into pieces.

Shocked, the official was at a loss for a minute. Then he asked in confusion, “What did you do that for?” Calmly and firmly the artisan replied, “I smashed them at the cost of no life.

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Great Chinese Anecdotes About Purple Clay

It seems to be a rule that a serious tea lover is inevitably picky in his tea and tea ware. In China, there are a number of famous Yixing purple clay teapot collectors. Can you imagine how much they love their collectibles? Mr. Liu Tianbao is one of them. This article tells about his real-life experience.

The Costly Lesson

As a child, Liu was greatly influenced by his father’s love of purple clay flowerpots. He was crazy about miniature gardens, so there were a lot of flower pots made of Yixing purple clay in their home. Liu learned the special qualities of purple clay from his father.

Over 30 years ago, there were several curio markets in China’s capitol city. Following his father’s footsteps, Liu started to shop around at places where various folk arts and crafts were sold, looking for valuable purple play.

It was in one of these markets that Liu made a big mistake that he would remember for the rest of his life. In southeastern Beijing lies the well-known Panjiayuan Secondhand Antique Market. A lot of dealers go there before daybreak to prepare their wares. One day, Liu bought 50 secondhand purple clay teapots. He quickly brought them home and soaked them in water, and he was almost brought to tears. The handles and spouts of each and every teapot dropped off one after another. He realized the he had been cheated, and bought nothing more than broken pots.

An (Almost) Lost Love

In 1986, Liu made a trip to Tianjin. At a local antique market he took a fancy to a quaint purple clay teapot. Regrettably, the price was more than he could afford, and the seller refused to bargain with Liu. In the end, Liu had to part with the pot reluctantly. However, this was not the end. In 1996, Liu unexpectedly discovered the same teapot at a secondhand antique market in Beijing. He didn’t skip the chance a second time. He bought it right away.

Based on his research, the creator of this purple clay teapot was Pei Shimin, one of the most distinguished master potters of the Qing dynasty. The teapot was covered with a layer of yellow glaze. Only a master at could complete such a design at that time, as it required the pot to be placed in a kiln at very high temperatures, not once, but twice. At present, you can only find this type of purple clay teapot at the Forbidden City in Beijing.

A Pot is Like a Son

Understanding the true value of a purple clay teapot, Liu knows how to cherish them. Once he bought a purple clay teapot made in the late Qing dynasty. He carefully put it into his knapsack, and bicycled towards home humming a little tune.

But unexpectedly, in order to avoid hitting an old man, he rolled and fell off his bike. At that moment, he held the teapot tightly in his arms, and let his hipbone smash into the ground first. Consequently, he was confined to bed for one year. It became a popular story among his friends: Liu would rather break his bone than to break his purple clay teapot!

Now Liu has been collecting purple clay teapots for over thirty years. He describes each of his unique teapots as his son. His collections prove that he has a sharp eye for purple clay teapots.

Liu thinks an Yixing purple clay teapot inevitably involves its creator’s ingenuity, workmanship, and vision. And he says a purple clay teapot embodies its collector’s ability to find good things, and a little luck.

Post from: www.mccoy-pottery.net

A Road To Become A Purple Clay Teapot Collector