Yixing teapots are arguably the most popular tea ware today. They have played a tremendous role in shaping the culture and social life of the Chinese. Not only that; these teapots also played a major role in the construction and design of tea wares from all over the world. This article is a brief discussion of the most common adornments of Yixing tea ware - the potters' seals and inscriptions. Before we delve into the subject, here is short anecdote on Yixing pottery.
The people of Yixing, a county of the province of Jiangsu in China, have long engaged in the pottery arts. In fact, it is believed that the people in this area have engaged in the clay industry since the Neolithic age. However, it was only during the latter part of the Yuan dynasty and the beginning of the Ming dynasty that written accounts about it were made. These documents were in the form of literary pieces and works of art done by members of the scholarly class; who were attracted to Yixing because of its scenic location. From then on, Yixing pottery rose in popularity - first in China, and then globally - not only because of its inclusion in various works by scholars, but also the unique qualities of the clay from this region of China.
In relation to the seals or "chops" - yixing teapots often have these signatures to depict the place where they were made - that is, the Yixing county. It is important to note here, that Yixing changed its name several times throughout history; as such, the seal marks in some of the older pieces do not say "Yixing". To elaborate; during the"The Warring States" period, Yixing was called Jingqi, which was then changed to Yangxian during the Han dynasty. Thus, it is not uncommon to find Yixing pottery that bears a seal that says "Jingqi" or "Yangxian". It is also a tradition among Yixing potters to "sign" their creations through the use of stone name seals or chops - which, as implied, depicts their name, but also allows others to identify the maker of a particular piece and the time when it was made. This practice reflects the pride the potter has in his or her craftsmanship.
Inscriptions are also a common adornment in most Yixing teapots. In fact, these are the earliest decorations made by Yixing potters to adorn their work. The oldest decorated teapots, made during the Ming dynasty, bore calligraphic inscriptions which were said to be carved into them while still leather-hard - a stage in the drying process wherein the clay is damp enough to accommodate engraving and other forms of styling, but hard enough to withstand the stress of the decorating process. In the beginning, inscriptions as teapot decorations were only limited to calligraphic writing placed at the bottom or base of the tea ware. Around the mid-17th century, however, potters began carving not only calligraphic inscriptions but also images on the teapot. And while in the past the decoration was placed on the base, during this time inscriptions can readily be found on the teapot's body. This form of decoration, along with seals, can still be found in contemporary Yixing pottery.
Karen Davis is an Yixing Teapot enthusiast and collected her first pot back in the 1980's. She is the founder of Brownstoneshopper, an online discount webstore that sells Yixing teapots and tea. Our unique pots are showcased in our online gallery. If you enjoyed this article on yixing teapots, contact us now online and sign up for your FREE Report!
Source: http://articles.submityourarticle.com/yixing-teapots-on-seals-and-inscriptions-321942
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