World of Pots: Forms in Yixing Pottery

Purple clay wares of Yixing belong to unglazed ceramics. Aesthetic effects are achieved by the inherent form and structure of the vessels, not by finely painted decorative designs and glaze colours found in traditional ceramics. Through a long period of development, Yixing potters have successfully created a wide variety of distinctive forms, the design of which embody many aesthetic concepts.

In the long history of Yixing wares, the first piece recorded in texts is a teapot by Gong Chun, a servant who learnt the art of making teapots from a monk while accompanying his master when he resided in a temple. This happened during the Ming dynasty under the reign of Zheng De, around 1400s. Modelled entirely by hand, the teapot made by Gong Chun simulates the form of a bark of an old ginkgo tree, with the sprout and handle rendered as branches growing naturally from the body of the pot. The surface of the teapot is not smooth, but depressed here and there with the thumb to convey the rough texture of the bark. The effect is one of simplicity and refinement. The teapot is at once an allusion to the wonder of nature and an affirmation of the charm of a handmade object. Many praises have been heaped on this teapot by connoisseurs of the past.

Shapes created by Gong Chun

Gong Chun's pot

The first ever recorded teapot by Gong Chun is a classic form of teapot shape derived from nature. This is known as Hua Huo or decorated ware. Decorated ware can be classified into the following categories: 1) forms derived from nature, 2) forms derived from geometry, 3) forms closely modelled on natural objects, and 4) forms resembling bronze ware, jades and articles used in daily life.

Forms derived from nature refer to those which are inspired by things in the vegetable kingdom such as pine, fruits, bamboo, nuts, etc; and those in the animal kingdom such as birds, insects, fish etc. By observing these things of nature, the potter arrives at an apprehension of their existence in space and transforms his concept into the form of a vessel or object. The manner in which he executes this transformation results in ware of various degree of naturalism.

Shape derived from flower

Nature provides an inexhaustible source of motifs to the Yixing potters. To create the decorated ware, the potter extracts and distills the essence of a plant or anything from nature and, through his creativity, transforms it into a work of art. A successful piece is one that combines aesthetic appeal with practicability and functionality. No matter how attractive is the design, a teapot is meant for brewing tea, so practicability and functionality cannot be ignored. In concrete terms, the potter must pay attention to the teapot's overall effect and the relation of its parts such as the spout, the handle, the cover and the decorations, all of which must blend harmoniously into a unified whole. In this way, a good teapot not only appeal to the user, it can also serve as vessel for tea appreciation.