written by siyutao art team
Yixing Clay Teapots
Yixing clay teapots are a traditional Chinese teapot, made from the purple clay ore produced in the Dingshu area of Yixing, Jiangsu Province. Yixing clay belongs to sedimentary rock and is composed of zini clay, lvni clay, white clay, duanni clay, and hongni clay, collectively known as Zisha clay. Zisha wares are unglazed both inside and outside, and after firing they mainly appear purplish-red, hence the name. In 2006, the Yixing Zisha pottery making technique was inscribed on China's national intangible cultural heritage list.
Yixing teapots are highly esteemed for their unique practical functions: they preserve the original flavor of tea, "retaining color, aroma, and taste"; the walls of the pot absorb tea aroma, so that after long use, even when filled with plain boiling water, the pot still emits a tea fragrance; tea does not easily become musty or spoiled; and heat conduction is slow, making the pot comfortable to hold without burning the hand. For these reasons, Yixing teapots enjoy the reputation of being "the foremost tea vessel in the world."
History of Yixing Teapots
The origin of Yixing teapots can be traced back to the Northern Song Dynasty 北宋. In 1976, a large number of Zisha pottery fragments were unearthed at the ancient kiln site of Yangjiaoshan 羊角山in Yixing, and were dated to the Northern Song period. The Northern Song poet Mei Yaochen 梅尧臣 wrote in his Wanling Ji the line, "Small stones, cold spring, retain the early taste; purple clay new ware radiates spring glory 小石冷泉留早味，紫泥新器泛春华," and Ouyang Xiu 欧阳修 also recorded, "Delighted with the purple earthenware, I chant and admire your free and elegant leisure 喜若紫瓯吟且，羡君潇洒有余清, " both references to Zisha tea utensils.
However, early Zisha wares were mostly everyday pottery and their production techniques were relatively primitive. The turning point when Zisha teapots emerged from daily-use pottery and embarked on a path of artistic development occurred around the Zhengde reign of the Ming Dynasty 明代正德年间 (1506–1521). According to the Ming Dynasty author周高起Zhou Gaoqi's Yangxian Minghu Xi 《阳羡茗壶系》(Record of Famous Teapots from Yangxian), during the Zhengde period, a monk at Jinsha Temple used local fine clay to hand-form teapots, and later a page boy named Gongchun 供春 (also known as 龚春) further refined the craft, earning him the posthumous title of the "founder" of Zisha teapot art.
Thereafter, Zisha teapots entered a period of rapid development: during the 万历 Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty, Shi Dabin 时大彬pioneered new forming techniques that brought Zisha craftsmanship to maturity; during the Kangxi 康熙and Yongzheng 雍正 reigns of the Qing Dynasty 清朝, Chen Mingyuan 陈鸣远expanded Zisha into floral vessels and scholarly desk items; during the Jiaqing and Daoguang reigns, Shao Daheng 邵大亨excelled in plain forms, with works that were simple, vigorous, and dignified. In modern times, Master Gu Jingzhou 顾景舟 spent over sixty years working with Zisha clay and was hailed as the "Grand Master of Teapot Art" and "a leading master of the generation." From Gongchun to Gu Jingzhou, the five-hundred-year development of Zisha teapots has been a continuous tradition.
Several Famous Masters
Gongchun (供春): A man of the Zhengde reign of the Ming Dynasty, originally a page boy at Jinsha Temple. According to legend, he "secretly imitated the old monk's heart and skill" and created a tree-burl teapot inspired by the ancient ginkgo tree next to the temple, initiating the art of Zisha bionic forms. His works were "dark brown in color, like ancient metal and iron," allowing people for the first time to appreciate the natural beauty of Zisha clay without glaze, and he was later revered as the "founder" of Zisha.
Shi Dabin时大彬 (1573–1648): A famous teapot maker during the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty. His greatest contribution was improving Gongchun's method of "carving wood as a mold" and establishing the techniques of piecing clay slabs and beating the body cylinder, so that Zisha teapots could be "not limited to one square shape nor one round form," with endless variations. His works were "not coquettish but simple, elegant, and solid," and were known in the world as "Shi teapots" or "Dabin teapots."
Chen Mingyuan 陈鸣远: A renowned Zisha master during the Kangxi and Yongzheng reigns of the Qing Dynasty. He was versatile in his skills, with "conceptions beyond the mundane, colors exquisitely applied, and craftsmanship skill far surpassing his predecessors." He pioneered the "flower goods" category of Zisha, using natural forms such as pumpkins for teapots, and extended his art to bronze vessels and scholarly desk accessories. People of his time said, "Even overseas they eagerly seek Mingyuan's dishes."
Shao Daheng邵大亨 (1796–1850): A famous teapot maker during the Jiaqing and Daoguang reigns of the Qing Dynasty. He excelled in plain forms, with designs that were simple, dignified, and gentle in spirit. His representative works include the Duoqiu Teapot, the Yuhualong (Fish-Dragon) Teapot, and the Longtou Yikun Zhu (Dragon-Head Bamboo-Bundle) Teapot. His works were already treasured during the Qing Dynasty, with the saying "one teapot worth a thousand gold pieces, hardly attainable."
Gu Jingzhou 顾景舟(1915–1996): A modern and contemporary master of Zisha art. He worked with teapots for over sixty years, developing an artistic style that is "vigorous yet rigorous, flowing yet orderly, simple yet elegant, and exquisitely crafted yet beautiful." His representative works include Hanyun, Xuehua, Tibi, Sengmao, Fanggu, and Shipiao, and he is known as the "Grand Master of Teapot Art" and "a leading master of the generation."
About the Purpose of This Page
The marks (seals) on Zisha teapots are important evidence for identifying the date and maker of a teapot, and are also a key basis for appraisal and valuation in collecting circles and auction houses. These marks are usually found on the inside of the lid, the bottom of the pot, the handle, and other parts. Famous masters of all dynasties were very particular about their seals, and the seals themselves have become an indispensable part of Zisha art.
However, because Zisha teapots span several hundred years of history, with thousands of makers and a great variety of seals, there has been a lack of systematic and complete reference materials for Zisha teapot seals online. As a professional Zisha art exhibition hall, we have found it very inconvenient to consult and compare seals, so we have decided to compile this list of Yixing teapot marks.
This list is currently incomplete, first because there are tens of thousands of different marks over the centuries, and second because this work requires continuous collection, verification, and updates. The list mainly includes seals of specific potters, with a few shop names. At present, only basic information is provided; in the future, we will gradually expand it into a detailed and comprehensive database of marks, hoping to provide a practical reference tool for Zisha teapot collectors and enthusiasts.
This photo comes from the Wuxi Municipal Government Cultural Relics Management Committee
teapot mark : 源远堂藏 大彬制 yuan yuan tang cang shi da bin zhi （yuan yuan tang collection made by Shi Dabin）
This mark belongs to Shi Dabin 时大彬，Photo from Shanghai Museum.
Li Maolin 李茂林, also known as Li Yangxin 李养心, with the art name Maolin, was a renowned teapot master from Yixing, Jiangsu, active during the Jiajing 嘉靖 and Wanli 万历 reigns of the Ming Dynasty.
teapot mark: 友泉 You Quan
This mark comes from xu youquan 徐友泉，Photo from Hong Kong Tea Ware Museum.
徐友泉 Xu Youquan, whose given name was Shiheng 士衡, was a native of Yixing during the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty. He was a disciple of the great master Shi Dabin 时大彬. He crafted a wide array of imitation ancient bronze ritual vessels and various teapot forms, displaying extremely exquisite workmanship. Under his creative hands, these vessels took on diverse shapes and styles, with endless variations. Xu Youquan had become a student of Shi Dabin from a young age.
...... to be coutiune
