Teapots :: Down The Slippery Slope We Go

The slippery slope. Specifically on my crazy purchases of unglazed teapots made from the famed clay of Yixing (宜兴) in Jiangsu province. It's known as purple clay (紫砂) because the finished product, somehow, shimmers in a purplish sheen in sunlight.

A mineral mix of kaolin, quartz and mica, the high iron oxide content in this teapot keeps it porous after firing. As a teapot (宜兴紫砂壶), this unique mix is perfect for filtering out impurities and enhancing the best flavors of the tea. Try as I might, I can never replicate the depth of flavors while brewing tea with a high-shine delicate porcelain or even ceramic gaiwan (a small cup with a lid). Other sorts of clay teapots would kinda work, but none as well as one made of Yixing clay. If you're really keen, one set of findings for the composition of this clay and analysis for lead content have been done by the Hong Kong Baptist University's Professor Cheung and his PhD student Bruno Cai. Weblink to report, here.

Apparently, Yixing clay began to be used for teapots and the creations have been prized from Ming Dynasty. So after centuries of retrieval, the available volume has dwindled, along with government restrictions slapped on the excavation of the clay. It's unavoidable that the prices of Yixing clay teapots can only increase exponentially, even though they're not made of pure clay and are usually mixed for color, strength and durability. Many artists have already said that their next batches of teapots made over the later part of 2013 and after will be more expensive that those on the market now. While I can't identify or authenticate a teapot made from Yixing clay (need the help of ceramic artists to do that), I'll know only upon using it. Purchasing teapots meant that I've rely on the reputation of a known artist and buy it from a dependable retail shop. The first thing the teacher told me is, never to buy teapots till I've finished certain stages of the tea lessons and acquired a strong foundation in the art of brewing tea and whatever knowledge necessary. I got that, all right.

Finally, I begin to understand teacups and teapots, and the interaction of clay with tea. As with any tea enthusiast who drinks tea, and don't just want to acquire teapots as an investment or art, I begin to look at them for usage. Each teapot will be meant for a specific type of tea. For example, oolong tea. Oolong is the widest ranging species of tea trees, producing different sort of tea leaves with different flavors. Add processing and production to that, i.e. level of oxidization and roasting, I'll probably need four teapots just to brew the different types of oolongs out there. :P

Not a collector, and am not about to go hunting for antiques. Am perfectly fine with contemporary creations. I like teapots that display clean silhouettes and sit at a proportionate ratio to palm and fingers. Plain designs are the best. No flowers, animals or words of any sort please. Nothing fancy, nothing awkward. Simplicity is key. Functionality matters most of all. Importantly, I can't buy teapots based on photos or word of mouth. I need to see, feel and hold before deciding. Best if I can fill it with water for a test pour.

Must declare that these belong to the girlfriend.

Yes. Different-colored Yixing clay teapots are meant to brew different teas. Exactly what sort, I can't tell you, because clay when moulded into different shapes produce a slightly different taste of the same tea, also dependent on quality of water, amount of tea leaves and steeping time. A very general rule is, the lighter in color the teapot is, it'll probably complement less oxidized teas. There're like a hundred permutations. It's really up to your individual tastebuds. Experiment.

I like small teapots that hold about 4 - 5.5oz of water, about 120 - 160ml thereabouts. That would make a good 3.5 - 6 grams of tea leaves required on the average. As you can tell, I weighed them. It annoys me to go with estimation and 'feel'. I hate that. You can tell me that the art of brewing a good cup of tea is through the heart and feel, and all that. But I need something more precise. That includes using a water thermometer to gauge the temperatures in the boiling vessel be it glass, ceramic or metal over an open gentle flame, gas stove or portable induction stands.

And yes, I need more than a couple of teapots. Many teapots have been acquired over two weeks. Cooking the teapots to rid it of residual clay and whatnots, and opening up the airholes isn't tough. But nurturing (养壶) them, sealing the pores (with tea, and never ever wash them with detergent no matter how mild) and making them ready for a lifetime of producing beautiful brews would take effort. Need to kinda 'season' them to adapt to the specific sort of tea I intend to use them for, and use a soft cloth to wipe them down after each use and help encourage a lovely patina to form. At the same time, I've also adopted the girlfriend's collection of many teapots to foster. Nurturing them all at the same time. Such fun!

A new yellow clay teapot (宜兴段泥紫砂壶) that I use to brew teas yellow and white.
Good for raw pu'ers too. Not too inclined to use it for green tea, even though it's fine.
Another teapot will be dedicated to green teas!