China purple ceramics cup

purple stoneware cup China ink picture fretwork surface dragon shape handle, hand made or mass-production capacity: 12 oz

These pots, which have been made in China for centuries, are clay pots that are particularly good for infusing tea. With each use, the pot adds a fresh flavor to the tea. 

Origin place: Yixing Pots are hand crafted from clay from the village of Dingshu in the province of Jiangsu. The soft yellow clay contains iron, quartz and mica, and when fired, turns a charactreristic  red colour. However, blue and white clay is also found in the Yixing clay deposits and may be incorporated into the pots as well.

craft description:

A : produce clay

The clay is produced using an ancient and time consuming method that insures a smooth, dense shell of clay. Afer it is dug, the clay is dried, punched into powder, and then sifted through bamboo strainers to purifiy it. The fine powder is mixed with clear, cool water and then, when its textures is correct, is left to dry naturally in the sun. It is then cut into blocks and sold to potters.

B:  pottery

The potters use heavy wooden mallets to punch the clay, mixing it with water as they do so, until it is of  a workable viscosity-a process that takes about two days. The time-honoured test to determine if the clay is ready to slice it with a knife. The cut sides must be smooth and shiny, without a trace of air pockets. Only then can it be shaped into pots.Then thepotters create all kinds of nice cups.

Function and value: Yixing pots are only one kind of pot used for making tea, but they are excellent. They are not desinged for stovetop use, but when tea leaves and boiling water meet inside one of these vessels, the resulting beberage is gloriously refreshing. These pots are collectibles and increase in value not only with time but with use-evidenced by the patina on the outside of the pot and the flavor buildup on the inside.

China purple ceramics cup