Fig. 1 Fan Jinpu – Republican Era Duan Clay Handle Pot
There are two kinds of beauty: the ornate and luxurious, and the simple and plain. The I Ching (The Book of Changes) discusses these opposing forms of beauty in the phrase “Superior Nine, White Decoration, no blame.” Decoration usually signifies splendor, but here it refers to a return to simplicity after complexity. In the context of Yixing teapots, flower goods represent a vivid and realistic beauty, while plain goods exemplify a simple and rustic elegance.
Fig. 2 Zhao Zeping – Eight Diagrams Dragon Head Bamboo Bound Pot
The fundamental rule for artistic creation is to draw inspiration from nature. Flowers, birds, insects, fish, rocks, trees, fruits, vegetables, and other elements of the natural world have all become sources of inspiration for artists. Throughout history, Yixing artisans have built upon the work of their predecessors in other crafts by creatively incorporating various sculptural techniques to transform diverse natural forms into small Teapot shapes or designing them as pot styles. These works are exquisite, lifelike, and display a rich aesthetic realm.
Fig. 3 Chen Mingyuan – Silkworm Treasure Pot
When discussing Yixing flower goods, one cannot overlook Chen Mingyuan. He is an unassailable peak and the undisputed patriarch of flower goods. His uniqueness lies in his creative representation of natural forms. Under his skillful hands, plum stumps, pine segments, silkworm cocoons, lotus flowers, firewood, and even small objects like water basins and peanuts are transformed into lifelike forms imbued with vitality. His attention to detail is evident in the silkworm treasure pot, where multiple silkworms can be seen crawling under or between mulberry leaves, some facing up, some facing down, with even the marks left by the silkworms' feeding clearly visible, achieving an almost lifelike effect!
Fig. 4 Chen Mingyuan – Plum Stump Pot
Other details, such as irregular growth rings on pine segments, patterns and lines on pine branches and needles, or large and small tree warts, and lifelike plum blossoms, are equally astounding. However, it would be a mistake to think that Chen Mingyuan's flower goods are merely an excessive accumulation of details. If they were, his works would not convey a complex yet refined beauty, but rather a sense of clutter and disorder. His genius lies in finding order within complexity and coherence amidst richness. Why was Chen Mingyuan able to create so many intricate flower goods? This was likely due to the development trend of Yixing Teapots, his exceptional skills, and his artistic insight. Examining the overall style of crafts during the Kangxi era reveals that his creations align with the opulent and majestic style of courtly objects of the time, which often influenced the aesthetic preferences of the age. Thus, I believe Chen Mingyuan's style emerged from the prevailing aesthetic inclination of his time, much like contemporary potters exploring modern ceramics under the influence of Western aesthetics.
Among contemporary masters of flower goods, Jiang Rong stands out. In addition to possessing the artistic refinement of natural forms found in Chen Mingyuan's work, her most distinctive feature is the more abundant use of color. Perhaps influenced by the traditional notion that “form changes but color remains constant,” Chen Mingyuan's pots, despite their varied and unpredictable shapes, did not exhibit significant changes in color. He seemed to place greater importance on texture than hue. Jiang Rong, however, fully utilizes the vibrant colors produced by mixing purple clay, green clay, and red clay to express the beauty of color, giving her pots a regal and opulent appearance. This beauty is best exemplified in her peony pot.
Fig. 5 Jiang Rong – Peony Pot
While appreciating the ornate and intricate beauty of Yixing teapots, we must also note that some artisans have strayed from traditional aesthetic principles by excessively pursuing decorative effects, resulting in pots that appear overly ornate and vulgar. For example, many enameled floral teapots from the Kangxi period were decorated with colorful enamel flowers, appearing splendid and lavish. During the Qing dynasty, there were also numerous Yixing teapots glazed with yellow, blue, or red glazes, almost resembling painted pottery. Although these pots were primarily made for imperial nobility, they had lost the true essence of Yixing teapots. Regardless of how enamels and glazes might affect the breathability of Yixing teapots, the excessive decoration alone can be considered “intolerably vulgar.” Some artisans adorn their pots with gold, Silver, pearls, and jade, which often gives the impression of transforming a noble sage from the mountains into an “offensively vulgar” local gentry. Another common fault in flower goods is focusing solely on the likeness of the object without infusing it with life, resulting in a pure naturalistic tendency that makes the pot appear stiff and lacking in spirit. The principle of art is to be “derived from nature but transcending it.” In other words, flower goods do not simply replicate external objects but capture their essential characteristics and express their spirit through the most artistic means possible. The ideal state is when form and spirit are harmoniously combined, imbued with charm and vitality, just as Qi Baishi's paintings of cabbages and shrimps are full of life and spirit. This charm is sometimes created through the decoration of small animals on the pot, such as the squirrels on Chen Mingyuan's bound firewood trio pot, the butterflies on Jiang Rong's peony pot, and the frogs on the lotus pot. These creatures instantly bring lively energy to the pot as a whole. Conversely, some works, though meticulously crafted and lifelike, lack charm and appear rigid and dull.
Fig. 6 Chen Mingyuan – Bound Firewood Trio Pot
Fig. 6 Chen Mingyuan – Bound Firewood Trio Pot
Fig. 7 Jiang Rong – Frog Lotus Pot
Having discussed the “ornate,” let us now talk about the “simple.” Traditional Chinese aesthetics favor simplicity and tranquility. While the ornate and colorful embellishments of Six Dynasties four-character couplets, poetic antithetical phrases, and carved decorations are indeed beautiful, they are not typically regarded as the highest form of art. Natural and plain beauty is considered the pinnacle. Ming-style furniture, with its simple and robust design, has always been preferred over the elaborate and luxurious Qing-style furniture by the Chinese. Personally, I lean towards the simple and expressive plain goods of Yixing teapots. These works lack complex layers and bright colors, instead highlighting the beauty of “returning to simplicity after brilliance.” They often employ straightforward lines and circles and squares to showcase their rustic essence. Some styles exude a scholarly air at first glance, imbuing them with a strong cultural connotation that resonates deeply with me. I feel that this type of pot is most suitable for tea, and when drinking from them, I often experience the joy described by Chen Mansheng: “Boiling snow water from plum blossoms, the mountain dweller becomes a fairy.”
Fig. 8 Plain Goods Yixing