Throughout history, there have been many people who love drinking tea. The vessel of choice for brewing tea is usually the Purple Clay Teapot. If you often browse through the purple clay Teapot market, you've likely heard of “chemical Teapots.”
Many cheap purple clay teapots are available on the market—can they be real? Many enthusiasts' first lesson is often spent on chemical teapots. So, how can one identify a chemical teapot?
Jingzhou Shibo
I. Reject Cheap Purple Clay Teapots
Chemical teapots are low in cost due to their materials and production process, so they are very inexpensive. A chemical teapot typically costs just a few dollars, and even when sold as a set of Teaware, it usually doesn't exceed 100 RMB. If you come across a “purple clay teapot” on the market that is exceptionally cheap and comes with numerous other cups and saucers, you should be cautious.
II. Quality Identification
High-quality purple clay has a restrained luster, feels like warm jade, and its color is stable and mature. With good clay, you can see results within a couple of weeks of use. However, low-grade chemical clay teapots show little change no matter how much you use them; they remain dry and lifeless, which means such teapots cannot be conditioned properly.
III. Clay Color Identification
The colors of original mine clay are generally not too bright. Firstly, many early purple clays were from surface layers, which had already undergone some degree of natural weathering. Secondly, after being extracted from underground, the purple clay is left exposed to the elements outdoors for over a year, naturally breaking down into small particles before being ground into powder and then processed further before use.
Shibo Handle
After weathering and aging, the metal components in the original mine clay undergo oxidation, making the clay appear darker, deeper, and older, lacking the fresh and vivid appearance. Some clays are aged for decades or even over a century before use, which is why there are still a few old clays from the Qing Dynasty and the Republic era, though they are now extremely rare and valuable. Chemical clays, on the other hand, are made by mixing kaolin with quartz sand, wood shavings water, and coloring metal oxides, and used immediately, often with excessive amounts of metal oxides added.
Therefore, the vivid and bright colors of these clays make the resulting teapots look excessively bright. Drinking tea from a teapot made with such pigments can have an unknown impact on health. Original mine clay teapots have colors that are generally deeper and darker, especially those that have been used, giving them an aged appearance that conveys a sense of having endured the passage of time. This is what we refer to as a glow. Chemical teapots will never achieve this effect.
IV. Craftsmanship Identification
Modern production techniques are standardized and highly efficient, producing teapots that are perfectly symmetrical and finely crafted, which many beginners find appealing. Handmade teapots, however, do not rely on uniform molds but instead are crafted based on the artisan's skill and experience, creating pieces according to personal preferences and requirements.
Thus, teapots of the same shape and size will have variations in the body's exterior form, mouth diameter, and the position, thickness, and height of the spout and handle, and there will be no two identical looking and sized teapots. Additionally, original mine purple clay is scarce and valuable, making large-scale mechanized or mold-based mass production impossible due to the limited availability of clay.
Dezhong Teapot
These methods cannot be taken as absolutes but can serve as references, not standards. Chemical teapots are not considered true purple clay teapots. Those who love and buy teapots may need to learn from experience, but spending money on such items is not worth it!
Purple clay teapots and chemical teapots can be easily distinguished by understanding their manufacturing principles and carefully observing the actual products. There is no need for enthusiasts to worry excessively.