Gu Zhipei
Gu Zhipei (顾治培)
Provincial Master of Arts and Crafts in Jiangsu (2011, Inaugural Class)
Provincial Master of Ceramic Art in Jiangsu (2011, Fifth Edition)
Senior Crafts and Arts Artist
Director of the Purple Clay Art Research Institute, China Yixing Ceramics Museum
Member of the Jiangsu Ceramic Art Committee
Member of the Jiangsu Museum Association
Member of the Chinese Arts and Crafts Society
Council Member of the Sculpture Committee, Chinese Arts and Crafts Society
Purple Clay Art Advisor at Shanghai Modern Art and Design Research Institute
Advisor to the Yixing Xu Beihong Memorial Hall
Vice President of the Chinese Jiangnan Cricket Association
Born in 1949, Gu Zhipei has developed a distinctive style over his long career in purple clay art. He is especially skilled in creating teapots with a classically simple design, blending form and spirit seamlessly, with smooth lines that reflect mastery. He is also renowned for his intricate micro-carving work in purple clay. His celebrated Cricket Teapot surprises viewers: when the lid is opened, the sound of crickets can be heard, and inside, a small dish reveals three carved crickets—two males and one female—engaged in combat, each vividly lifelike. Former Vice Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee Peng Chong once visited his studio and marveled at this teapot, describing it as a “miracle of purple clay” and inscribing the phrase “A Unique Wonder in Purple Clay” in praise. This teapot was later selected as one of “China’s Ten Great Purple Clay Teapots.”
Another extraordinary piece of micro-carving, Millennium Blessings (also known as Gathering of Crickets), features a sprawling purple clay scene the size of a small square table. It depicts towering peaks with five tigers positioned atop, while 1,028 lifelike crickets are scattered across the grassy fields below—some fighting, some alone, some chirping—creating a lively and fascinating tableau. This exceptional work earned a Guinness World Records certificate.
Many of Gu Zhipei’s teapots carry profound meanings. For example, his Connected Hearts Teapot, gifted to former Kuomintang Chairman Lien Chan, is made from rare green-purple clay. The body of the teapot suggests rolling waves, and the lid is connected to the body by a chain of jade-like links, blending softness and strength into one—symbolizing the bond between people across the Strait. As a representative of Jiangsu’s purple clay community, Gu also contributed his Snowflake Overhead Handle Teapot to the National Exhibition on Intangible Cultural Heritage Preservation.
Notable works include:
Cricket Seven-Piece Teapot Set
Xinren Overhead Handle Teapot
