Culinary Teas - History of Yixing Teapots

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History of Yixing Teapots

The earliest Yixing teapots date back to the beginning of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in China. These teapots were made from zisha or purple clay of the Yixing region of China. Pottery in the Yixing tradition has been strong since the Sung Dynasty (960-1279); wares are valued for their fine texture, thin walls, and naturally beautiful coloration ranging from light buff to deep maroon tones. The clay is not chemically remarkable, consisting of quartz, kaolin, mica and iron oxide. It's the iron oxide that gives the reddish color to the clay. This clay is very porous when fired and is absolutely ideal for the making of teapots. Over time, the clay absorbs the flavors and oils from the tea. You should never scrub out your Yixing teapot, but only rinse it with cold water. They say that a well-used Yixing teapot can brew tea with hot water alone. In China Yixing teapots were, and still are, used to brew tea as well as act as the drinking vessel. The lucky user simply sips directly from the spout of a single-serving pot.

Each pot is shaped by hand on a potter's wheel and marked by the craftsman (on the bottom and/or under the lid, and occasionally on the handle). Yixing pots can be simple and elegant, or exotic and elaborate. Teapots from the Ming Dynasty tend to be very simple and elegant. The Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) brought a higher level of decoration of the Yixing teapots. The artists began creating pots with painting, inlaid gold and silver. Kang Xi an early emperor in the dynasty liked colored enamel pots which were more formal than many of the pots you see today. All of the Yixing pots that entered the palace could only have the seal of the emperors’ reign and not the artists chop. During his reign China began exporting the purple tea pots to Europe along with Chinese tea.

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