World of Pots: The form, spirit and character of Yixing teapot Pt 1

Recent years have witnessed a revival of the purple clay (zisha) tea wares of Yixing. Old masters have produced new creations while middle-aged craftsmasters have inherited the tradition and are now excelling in different directions. A new generation of young masters has rapidly developed and taken its place in competition for excellence. The art of Yixing pottery is now experiencing an unprecedented prosperity.In this posting I will discuss briefly the creative aspects of the art of teapot making.

The art of producing zisha tea wares developed as the result of the cumulative experience of generations of potters and folk craftsmen. It has been an evolutionary process based on the characteristics of the purple clay and involving the continual refinement of traditional techniques.

Through continual research and and striving for refinement over the past half century, the renowned potter Gu Zingzhou had concluded that three qualities are essential for creative endeavour in teapot making. They are form, spirit and character.

The first quality form means the image which depends on depth and dexterity of form building as well as individual form design. The arrangement of large surface, i.e, the teapot body, must be clear and precise. The emphasis of each part, such as sprout, handle, mouth, base, foot, lid and knob must be clear. The direction of each component, from point to line to surface, must be clearly marked. The creation and development of each part, its traditions, its prominence, its metamorphosis and its contrasts must be well defined o obtain the depth of form styling. The form quality of a work of a work emerges with the satisfactory treatment of these points, lines and surfaces.

The second quality spirit is the "feeling" transmitted through the from image of the teapot. When designing teapots one should not limit oneself only to the surface. One should devote attention to the three dimensional volume. All life originates from a centre growing from inside to outside areas. The seed germinates, grows, and blossoms into colour. One has to imagine that the teapot shape is facing you, addressing you and expressing itself to you. This kind of form has a strong latent energy and this kind of work has life and spirit.

The third quality character is the quality of beauty contained in the form. Purple clay teapots are utensils of art and craft. Not only are they utensils for daily use, they are also items of decorative art, possessing an art quality. The products have to be beautiful. As daily utensils, they have to combine aesthetic as well as practical qualities. They should be decorative as well as practical in life. They are convenient to use as well as satisfying to appreciate. Their beauty can be felt in the routine of normal use. This is beauty in character, a healthy beauty, not a diseased quality.