YiXing Visit
The clay tea pot center of the world is a hundred miles plus north west of Shanghai in the small town of Yixing. The history of Yixing clay pots is reported to date back to the Ming dynasty when the special qualities of the clay found here were first appreciated. Archeologists have found pottery shards in the area of Yixing from as far back as the Neolithic age – thats about 5000 years ago. The mining of Yixing clay and the tradition of pottery making in this region is a very old one and rooted in the history of China. Most scholars attribute the founding of the Yixing tea ware to monks during the Song Dynasty (960 A.D – 1368 A.D.) while the art of Yixing pottery (tea pots) reached its peak during the Ming Dynasty (1368 A.D. – 1911 A.D.).
Over the centuries the technology of tea pot creation has changed very little but each generation of potters has built on tradition of those who have gone before. Currently the artistry of tea pot creation has evolved, become richer and more varied leaving the traditional forms which I love the best. At this time of individualizm in China the emphasis in clay pot creation is less technological and more artistic. The Yixing clay artists of today strive to capture a mood, idea or story in the simple lines of the Yixing tea ware. Of course there are production pots but my interest is with the Master artist level creations.
Today was a wonderful day and my first visit to this artist haven in Yixing. The full story will follow after a bit of research. I would not be guilty of passing out false information….hahahahah.
Our neighbor Zhou Zong Qi here in Shanghai has been an art collector and antique affectionado for many years. One of his passions has been the special Yixing Master level clay pots. As will be discovered there are many levels of clay pot production from consumer goods to grand Master works of extreme value. Just imagine a David Hockney original in your posession. Stirs the imagination doesn’t it a bit. The fortunate thing was that Mr. Zhou aggreed to accompany us in our quest of Yixing clay tea pots and took us to the Master artist Pan Jun’s studio in Yixing for a look see. Mr. Pan is a mid-level Master who has studied under his father and both of his in-laws – all considered high level Masters – not the highest but after 50 years are well known and their chops are respected. What we found was an impressive display of art work at prices that were manageable – high but manageable. I was able to purchase two wonderful pots while I lusted after several others as well from the Baba Master (Pan Jun’s father). Next year Jennifer says I can get a couple more. In fact our Master artist host Mr. Pan invited me to stay with him and his family for a couple of weeks to learn the basics of Yixing clay pot construction. What a gift that is. Next year when we return to Shanghai I will take a side trip to Yixing and spend a week or so with him and get up to my elbows in clay.
There are many links on the web that describe the special qualities of Yixing clay and report the history of these wonderful little pots. After collecting them haphazardly for the past 5 years now I am hooked on the higher level of these art pieces. Here are some of the links that I have found:
Holy Mountain
A couple more pictures from flickr are here.
