PREPARING THE TEAPOT FOR BREWING

What is the first thing you do after purchasing a Yixing Teapot? Brew tea with it? Definitely not! A new teapot need to be treated or “prepare” so that the tea brewed in it will be delicious rather than being overwhelmed by the clay smell.

The method describe below is known as the Wu’s method of preparing teapots. It was devised by Wu Ju Lin of Taiwan and created a strong following since its introduction in Taiwan a couple of years ago.

To lower cost of production, zisha clay was pulverized into powder form with a machine and this helps to speed up its molecular integration process during firing. Despite this, air cavities unique to zisha are still present in the finish teapot. But because of the difference in molecular integration process of large and small clay particles, some of these minute particles got trapped in the air cavities. With the reduction of air cavities, the teapot will not be able to absorb as much tea particles and the cultivation process will be much slower. Another possibility of clay particles getting trapped in the air cavities is the result of insufficient curing time frame for clay prior to use.

After you have cleaned the surface of the teapot, including the internal, immersed the teapot in plain tap water for 3 days then put it into a pot of water and boil for an hour. Removed the teapot and let it cool down. Using the same pot of water, boiled the teapot again for an hour. It is best to invert the teapot in order to let the boiling bubble goes over the entire teapot, internal and external.

Removed the hot teapot from the boiling water and put it into the freezer section of the refrigerator immediately. Within half an hour, a layer of frost will form on the surface of the teapot. Put the frosty teapot back into a pot of boiling water and boiled it for an hour and then put it into the freezer again for half an hour before taking out to boil again. Repeat the entire process for 5 times or up to 7 times if time is available.

Using a new pot of water, add in some tealeaves and bring it to boil for about 10 minutes. Remove the tealeaves and place the teapot, after being freeze and boiled for 5 times, into the pot and boil for 3 hours. The process is complete once you have removed the teapot and clean it.

The method may seem bizarre or even dangerous for the teapot, but the reasoning behind it is pretty simply. When the teapot is hot, it expands and breaks the air cavities within the clay. The freezing process froze the minute clay particles within the air cavities and the repeated expansion and contraction process forces these clay particles out of the air cavities, thereby clearing it. The last step of boiling the pot for 3 hours in tea allows the emptied air cavities to absorbed tea particles which helps in cultivating the teapot and at the same time removed clay smell.

How much difference this method does in “opening-up” the teapot to absorb tea particles is not proven scientifically, but with its strong following in Taiwan, there may be some truth to it. On the other hand experts from other regions are divided over the effectiveness of this method and the principles behind it.

However, if you are game enough, why not give it a try?
However, one word of warning – if you treasure your teapots, do not experiment as teapots have been known to crack or break under such extreme measures. TRY AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!

For those of you who are interested in trying out this method but afraid of damaging your teapot, here is a true account by Logan who has subjected her teapot to the above treatment and emerged ……………………….Read on:

“Well, the process as described in your page on preparing a pot in the Taiwanese manner has been completed right through to the final rinsing after the 3-hour boiling and both the teapot and lid appear to be still sound. Obviously there’s no way of telling whether the taste of the tea is improved without comparison to an identical teapot seasoned in a different manner.

There’s no scientific reason why the alternative heat and freezing should damage the pot unless it was inherently flawed in the beginning. The usual assumption is that the frost caused by the freezing of the water left from the boiling would crack the pot as ice will break up concrete. This analysis is flawed though as the ice involved in such fractures is usually both thicker and in a crack that was larger at the beginning than should be the case with a teapot.

My experience is that the water on the outside of the teapot evaporates almost instantly as the pot is transported to the freezer simply because the pot itself is so hot when first taken out of the water. As a result, there is just a very bare haze of frost after half an hour of freezing — certainly not enough to cause damage. On the way back into the boiling water, the pot almost warms up to room temperature on its path back into the water because the teapot has no water inside. This happened even though my freezer is no more than two feet from the burner with the boiling water.

Now, this preparation process has to be making a difference — if it makes any difference at all — on the virtually invisible level. If a pot is destroyed by this process, I’d almost prefer that result to spending months getting the pot ready for brewing to find the fault at that point.

The only visible difference that I see is that the teapot’s original medium moss color has become somewhat darker. No change in color happened until the final 3-hour boiling. This darkening would occur just as readily with tea poured over the outside regularly as described in your cultivation page. The final boiling just accelerated the process”

HOW TO CULTIVATE YOUR YIXING TEAPOT

STEP 1Before using your prized yixing teapot, checked how whether the air vent is clear of blockage. Test the flow of water and if it is not smooth, clear the holes inside the spout of any debris. Finally examined whether there are clay deposits within the teapot, which if present can be easily removed by scrapping it with a wooden or bamboo piece.

STEP 2
Boil a pot of water and place the teapot into the water carefully. Boil it for 30 to 40 minutes. Removed the teapot and soak it in a basin of warm water for a few minutes and then let it air dry.

STEP 3
Now place some tea leaves (any tea leaves will do) into the previously boiled pot of water and together with the teapot boiled it for an hour. Rinse the teapot and let it air dry naturally.

STEP 4
Before using the teapot, determine which tea leaves you are gonna brew in it. Do not brew different kind of tea leaves in the same teapot. Yixing clay are very porous that’s why it is such a good vessel for brewing tea as it able to retain the as well as trap tea particles in these pores. With frequent usage, more and more tea particles are trap and every time you brew tea, fragrance is released which when mixed with the current brew makes the tea taste better than if it was brewed in a new teapot.
After you have determine the tea to use for this teapot, do not start using the teapot yet, but use it as a “gong-dao” (justice) pot where tea is poured into it before being poured into tea cups.

STEP 5
Every time you brew tea, use the teapot as “gong-dao” pot and always pour the first infusion (which we normally discart) over the exterior of the teapot. If possible, reserved the last infusion (which is already diluted) to rinse the exterior of the teapot. This enables the tea oil to stain the exterior of the teapot and helps patina to grow.

STEP 6At the end of each session, fill the teapot with used tea leaves and water and leave it overnight or even till the next session. Before the next session, clear the tea leaves and repeat Step 5 again. The teapot should be ready for brewing after 3 months.

STEP 7
When you start brewing tea with this teapot, always rinsed the teapot (from cap down) with the first infusion. At the end of a session, use a tea cloth to wipe and polish the exterior surface of the teapot. Continue doing it for another 3 months and I guarantee that a rich patina will grow on the surface of the teapot.
Your teapot will start to look lovely and somehow you can swear that the clay seems very much different compared to when you first bought the teapot.
The above is what tea connoisseurs meant when they say “yang hu” or “cultivating a teapot”. Enjoy yourself!

TEAPOT CONNOISSEURSHIP

People often ask: why are there teapots valued up to tens of thousands of dollars while others, equally efficient as tea-brewing appliances, may be worth less than a dollar? This indeed is a difficult question to answer. Accordingly, the zisha teapot is a possessed of practicability, craftsmanship and artistry, and is a worthy subject of academic research, in-depth study and appreciation.

With the direct and indirect involvement of academics, painters and calligraphers throughout the centuries, the zisha teapot is expanding in its patronage, arousing in society an ever-increasing connoisseurship of the zisha teapot.
To a Connoisseur, there is one important point that must not be confused. The zisha teapot consists of four distinctive classes: appliances (mass-produced), handicrafts, works of master potters, and artistic masterpieces. The appliances form the basis of the industry it is supporting. Its present scale of mass production and cultivating its artistic development. Manually made by ordinary purple clay, they are for the teahouse or domestic use. In the history of zisha pottery, the people involved in the mass production of appliances were always the greatest in number. Thus the volume produced is also the largest with product quality the least admirable. Out of the small number of different models, each may be produced in the order of tens, of thousands. None of these, however, is considered worthy of study and collection (except the’ works of a few. past masters who specialized in and produced appliances). For example, during the forties, there appeared several batches, which bore the rectangular stamp that looks like Shi DaBin. These are often mistaken for past master’s works of but in fact are not related to him at all.
As for the handicrafts, it must be noted that it is only with a contingent of skilled labor that we can select out of it some better craftsmen who would refine their technique and master the zisha tradition. Works produced by these craftsmen possess both functional and artistic merits. Though limited by their individual experiences, cultural backgrounds, and artistic quality, they are equipped with elaborate craftsmanship.

Generally speaking, their works are just imitations of traditional forms (not expressing their own artistic features), but may sometimes be creations of their own that are pleasing to zisha novices. Although an item attractive at first sight may not necessarily remain so after a prolonged study, such products can be classified as handicrafts worthy of collecting.
Next we come to the masterworks of master potters. By master potters, we mean the few most celebrated masters this field with fame obtained through competition. Based on the works of each participant, this competition is fair to all concerned. A master potter is not just someone with the name but someone with the real quality. The name does not guarantee that one’s works are good while without does not mean that no good works can come from him. Without masterworks no one can be called a master potter. Masterworks become less with the decrease of master potters. Anyway, masterworks are important part of the teapot connoisseurship and
FinaIly, there is the artistic masterpiece which defies definition in just a few-words. Perhaps, I shall leave this to creators, patrons, and connoisseurs for their thorough study and discussion. No teapot connoisseurship is possible without a substantial collection. Individual collection shall vary in approach and taste. I see no reason why a standard should be forced. Large in amount comprehensive in models, wide in scope, superior in quality, specialized in depth, as well as restricted to only the big ones or the miniature ones. Any of these can be a collector’s objective. Learning teapot connoisseurship with your collection and then expanding your collection through connoisseurship will surely afford you infinite pleasure.

 

The art of purple clay sinks deep and stretches wide in the cultural domain. It puts together, tea ceremony, flower arranging, literature, calligraphy, painting, metallurgy, handicraft and technology. It takes articles from everyday life and raises them to the realm of aesthetics, and in the process, they become art objects of deep significance.
The art and craft of purple clay pottery is not only extraordinary, it is also full of significance. It isn’t just made up of clay and space; its main composition is culture, deep traditional culture; how else could it possess such deep artistic attraction, how else could it be so contagious?

Although the art and technique of purple clay pottery involve different elements, the two must exist as one and not be separated. Technique is the basis of materials, and art is the existing energy. Technique is the high or low production standard, and without a high technical standard for the method of production, the result would not have strength in expression. If a piece of the highest caliber in design is made roughly with low quality production, it cannot express what is intended in the design. If the best technique is applied but the craftsman lack artistic intelligence, the result would be a polished piece, perfect only in form, and would lack flavor, spirit, and the overall quality would still be low.
To truly appreciate a piece, one must observe it and appreciate it through its form, spirit, energy, movement, rhythm and ingenuity.

Form:
the shape of the ware, whether it’s geometric, derived from nature, or closely modeled on natural objects, no matter the form, they all have the language of shapes. This language has no sound; it tells of the shape of an object created by molding. This means that every piece of ware is carefully thought out and planned since the result must have meaning, or else it would lack artistic value. A meaningful piece holds fascination, captures the imagination, and must be of a shape that has gone through refinement or transformation.

Spirit:
every piece must have “spirit.” “Spirit” is the hardest to describe in words. It is the expression of artistic force from within the piece; it is the inherent appeal of a piece; its spirit is brought about through refinement. We usually regard guang huo (geometric form) types as simple and clean in shape. If the shape is round, its physical mass must be balanced; it must not be overly rotund and the circular lines must be perfectly curved, etc…. Of course, geometric forms are also changeable, the lines flow and extend with rhythm to reflect the ware’s intrinsic rhythm in its spirit. Carefully made pieces are not thin, hard as rock, and lacking in spirit. If the four sides of a square shape is measured for evenness when making a square, the final product will likely be negative and the piece will lack vitality. Therefore, squares must have flesh and strength. Forms derived from nature, and forms closely model on natural objects must express the living spirit of the object it represents.

One must first grasp the object’s particular shape, its way of growth. Objects such as the pine, bamboo, plum, cypress, peach, gourds, fruits, flowers, birds, fish and insects are commonly seen by everyone which means these must carry the feeling of familiarity. This means that to make any of these into teapots, appropriate elements of nature must be chosen as the basic shape or as a decorative part on a teapot. What is represented must appear more than what they are in reality since the art of pottery is to extract the essence of what is beautiful in these objects, to produce natural beauty in concentrated form. It is not to make exact copies that are dead and dry. It is to seek the heart and soul of nature’s vitality. That is how each piece of ware can express a “spirit.”

Energy:
this refers to inherent appeal and atmosphere which must be homogenous throughout a piece of ware. To be refined, its pose must be natural, moving, yet original, especially for a teapot since one must be able to express in a mass as small as the teapot, the greatness and magnificence of a tree or bamboo, the fervent growth of a branch, dauntless and brimming with energy

Movement:
forms derived from nature and geometric forms have their differences. Forms derived from nature must display the living and growing state of the object represented. However, these forms must not go beyond the limits of living and growing and represent something beyond or incongruous with nature. Geometric forms also involve an infinite number of changes. As the saying goes, roundness is not in the substance, and square-ness is not in the form. Geometric forms are usually very regular with a bit more or less so here or there. For some, the simpler the shape, the harder it is to make. Geometric forms depend on the appropriate use of points, lines and surfaces for shapes to be rich, natural and harmonious.

Rhythm:
a piece must have a balanced combination of form, spirit, energy, movement and rhythm. Adding a rhythm to its movement will make the lines flow more gracefully. The arrangement of the hard and soft, top and bottom, left and right should be continuously uniform and complementary, which should make the piece even more fascinating.

Ingenuity:
an art piece of purple clay must have ingenuity in its: design, choice of materials, production, and craftsmanship. During the production process, one must pay attention to using different methods, since special pieces require special methods, including the creation and usage of particular tools for a particular piece. In addition, one must be able to manage successfully the entire production process and its various segments. This implies a technical understanding of the process. Competence in the members of the production team is also a major factor in determining the success of the wares produced.
The art of purple clay pottery uses the traditional style as the main theme. The wares are practical as tools and as decoration. They are rich in significance and their forms can exist in myriad ways.

All types of wares can be found in various florid styles and each type expresses a unique feature. The different types are a reflection of the cultures found among the people of the East. Also, the individual wares exhibit the artistic styles and discipline of the craftsmen involved.

In essence, to appreciate a piece of purple clay pottery, one must not only look at how well it is made. What is most important is whether the piece reflects the form, spirit, energy, movement, and rhythm of the object it represents, which show the level of the craftsman’s artistry. The standard of quality lies in the degree of thoroughness in production. To fully grasp the art and technique of purple clay requires more than a day or even a hundred days. Like calligraphy, which involves continuous learning, enlightenment only comes after hundreds and thousands of trials and tribulations. A perfect piece of purple clay pottery doesn’t come easily and is highly precious and valuable. The success of an artistic piece can be likened to being pregnant for ten months and then delivering in one day. In the garden of various art forms, there is music, which is so beautiful that people never tire of hearing it. There is also, in the garden, the art of purple clay which has also been passed down through the centuries as connoisseurs collect, treasure, and guard jealously purple clay pieces, and never tire of enjoying them. The long and continuous history of purple clay pottery and its popularity has proven its worth. Now, we should continue to uphold and develop this exceptional traditional art form. We should take in what can nourish us in our time to raise our individual quality and talent, to widen our vision and our mind. We should create new designs and produce art pieces from purple clay which are in step with the times.

 

ALL ABOUT YIXING PURPLE CLAY

Yixing is the pottery capital of China, and is the place where purple clay originated. It is the hinterland beyond Hangzhou, Suzhou, Nanjing, Shanghai and Lake Tai. Yixing is a scenic spot with mountains and streams around; its land is fertile and abundant in produce. It is said to be the “ancient town of pottery, the world of caves, the green belt of tea, and the sea of bamboo.” Yixing lies within the Asian tropical zone, but has four distinct seasons which are mild and especially beneficial for producing pottery
God favored Yixing and granted it the conditions for producing pottery: a rich resource of purple clay soil lies hidden in the ground of Yixing. Legends about pottery originating in Yixing abound. About four to five thousand years ago, towards the end of prehistoric age, our ancestors had already begun making fired pottery on this very spot. The period from Shang Dynasty to Zhou Dynasty, geometric pottery and those with stamped markings appeared along with the early green porcelain. From the Qin Dynasty onward up till today, pottery and porcelain have been heavily produced. Purple clay pottery began in the Northern Song Dynasty. It flourished during the Ming and Qing Dynasties and is still thriving today. The efforts of the successive generations of potters have resulted in many celebrated craftsmen and all types of different forms of purple clay pottery.
The everyday necessities of the Chinese people include oil, salt, firewood, rice, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and tea. The Chinese have the habit of having “tea and rice”‘ everyday. Tea is consumed before a meal of rice. Also, when guests visit, it is the custom for hosts to offer good tea to express hospitality. Tea, in general, is a beverage that no one can do without. Drinking tea can clear your mind and raise your spirit, and is good for the health. Therefore, the tea set, especially the teapot, came to be treasured more and more by the culturally refined, and through their involvement, purple clay pottery gradually rose from the level of folk art and developed into the unique national tradition and cultural art that it is today. And this all happened at the right time and place as it was destined to.
The first requirement of purple clay pottery is the purple clay soil which is a mixture of three soils: the purple soil, the green soil (from the mountains of Yixing) and the red soil. All are from local mines and are composed of natural minerals. They are hidden between rocks and ordinary pottery soil, that is why they are sometimes called the “soil within the rock” and the “soil within the soil.” The purple clay soil is excavated by tunneling, naturally wind-dried, crumbled into powder, sifted, mixed with the right amount of water, left in a cool shady place to stale, and pounded (churned in a vacuum), in order to reach the ideal quality for molding. The three soils are mixed according to need and the color desired. Then, it is fired at various temperatures depending on the soil composition. Darker colored clay is more rich but the color gradations range from sky green, millet, deep purple, pear skin, cinnabar purple, flowering apple red, green gray, ink green, to bluish black, etc. There are colors that can be described as modest purple, delicate red, mature green, chromatic black, and florid gray, etc., that are truly elegant.

Purple clay soil is a kind of special pottery soil that is very fine and delicate, and that contains high amounts of iron. Its molecular structure is different from that of common pottery and porcelain soils. After being fired at 12000C, the structure becomes like fish scales and has the ideal rate of density and pores. The surface of a pottery piece is fine and delicate and does not need to be glazed. When used for making tea, no chemical reaction will take place. Therefore, using a purple clay teapot for tea will allow you to savor the full flavor, color, and aroma of the tea.
The ancients praised tea drinking thus: “water is the mother of tea and teapot is the father” and “clay teapots are the best: the lid keeps the steam in and yet does not smother the aroma.” Second, purple clay teapots conduct heat slower so can hold the heat longer, and it doesn’t burn the hand if you touch it. Third, purple clay pottery can be transferred from cold to hot extremes. On a cold winter’s day, you can directly put it in boiling water or on the fire. Fourth, because the surface is fine and delicate, the more you use it, the shinier it becomes, the newer it looks, and the more energy it seems to exude. Fifth, the colors of the clay are rich and varied, smooth and elegant, earthy and stable. Purple clay pottery is like wool: thick, snug, neat, pure, classy; and it is luminous as a piece of antique jade. Because of its special composition, purple clay is also good for making flower pots since it can let light through and absorb water, which prevent roots from rotting. Purple clay is also great for making steam pots used in cooking delicious food.
Pottery made from purple clay is earthy and refined, and displays the ingenuity of the craftsman; it is full of cultural flavor characteristic of the East. The ancients praised that “pearls and jade can be found everywhere but there is only one soil like that at Yangxian Xitou.” Therefore, one can say that purple clay soil is a national treasure endowed by the heavens.
The main types of wares made from purple clay are tea sets, wine sets, dinner sets, writing sets, flower pots, sculptures and decorations. Among tea sets, there are four types: kuang huo, fang huo, Jin rang huo, and hua huo. Kuang huo teapots can be any size, circular, cylindrical, or mallet-shaped; they are especially thick, full and simple; a craftsman will put in extra effort to make sure they appear simple, stout, round as pearls and smooth as jade. Fang huo teapots can be square, octagonal, hexagonal, rectangular, or slanted squares; they are especially straight and upright, simple, clean, serious, neat and proper; a craftsman will handle these in a clear-cut and straightforward manner. Jin rang huo teapots are representations of all kinds of flowers, such as the chrysanthemum, the sunflower, the plum blossom, the water chestnut flower, the cherry-apple blossom, etc.; the lines are always curved and the markings give the feel of order, rhythm and movement. Hua huo teapot forms are mainly derived from nature such as the pine, the bamboo, the plum, the vine, trees, gourds, and fruits, etc. Parts of these natural objects are selected and represented with exaggeration. To make them more interesting; the flowers or leaves sculpted or molded onto the body of the teapot must be life-like and arranged in a reasonable, suitable fashion. They should represent the poetic in life, the ideal above life, the platonic in nature. Purple clay pottery has numerous varying forms and styles, and an infinite number of representations. It is really the great achievement among all the crafts made for household use.
The various types of purple clay pottery reflect the various types of people and personalities that exist. They can be described as round and plump, gentle and full, strong and tough, feminine and slender, handsome and masculine, aloof and suggestive, uninhibited and sophisticated, penetrating and calm, subtle and full of presence, amenable and enjoyable, and are dear to their collectors and owners.

Because purple clay molds are easy to handle, the crafting and production of purple clay pottery are different from those of other pottery and porcelain. The past centuries have produced a unique set of techniques and skills for handling purple clay. For example, when making a round piece, strips or sheets of clay are luted together into circular shapes and then beaten with a spatula into the desired shapes (the da shentong method). For a square piece, the xiang shentong method is used which involves beating the mold with a spatula into the desired thickness first and then luting the pieces together; after either method, detailed work is added to complete the piece. Usually, from mixing the clay soil to a completed mold, everything is completed by one person. Therefore, the quality of the craft and its artistic value are dependent on the skill, artistic background, training, technical ability, and experience of the craftsman.
A perfect piece of pottery must first have carefully selected material, which involves knowing what kind of soil to use for which kind of piece. During the design, one must consider the crafting process, methods, techniques which include knowing how soft or hard the mold should be. In the production process, one must understand what changes will occur and what influence drying and firing has on the piece. Only in this way can one expect to achieve the desired effect. Only in this way can purple clay soil and fire be combined to produce special artistic pieces.
There is another special point about purple clay pottery, and that is the poetry and calligraphy directly painted or engraved on the pieces. The earliest examples of this type are from the end of the Ming Dynasty. Chang Mansheng and Zhu Ziye were the most prominent figures that left paintings and poetry on teapots. They initiated the development of art engraved on purple clay pottery, and the saying, “teapots are made legendary through words and words are made valuable through teapots.”
In recent years, new types of decorations have emerged, and a dazzling array of decorations and new handicrafts made from purple clay have captivated admirers and have made purple clay pottery more appealing than ever before. Purple clay pottery can not only be useful household items, they are also valuable collectibles. The purple clay teapot is “the best in the world” for making tea. Its substance and form are perfectly matched and it is a pleasure to use and to look at. People say that to make red tea, a deeper teapot should be used, and for green tea, a shallow one. For work or play, fatigue or stress, and especially for enjoying magnificent scenery or the quiet of a garden, it is an incomparable addition.
Purple clay pottery is praised and valued because of its special artistic form and deep cultural significance. Purple clay pottery is not only the symbol of Yixing, but also a foremost representative of Chinese traditional craft, a cultural treasure created and possessed by all of mankind. The development of cultural art has no borders. To develop the culture of purple clay pottery, it should be turned to the whole world and become amenable to all. It should be used and studied worldwide. History has given us purple clay pottery, and we should take up the task and responsibility for developing and studying it. This is a privilege that we have in our time.

HOW TO AUTHENTICATE YIXING TEAPOTS-2

In this page, I am going to show you various examples of what we discuss previously in how to authenticate Yixing teapots.

Fake Seals 
Although there are a large number of copies done on Shi DaBin’s (famous Ming dynasty master craftsman) works, we present 4 samples of his seal here for analysis.
Do you know which one is the real one? Yes, you guess right! The first one on the right is the original signature of Shi DaBin. The second is a copy done in the early Qing dynasty, which display extremely good calligraphy skills. The third signature was made in the late Qing dynasty but is a poor imitation of the original. The last signature is done in recent years and is good enough to fool even the expert!

If you are still unclear about what I meant by fakes seal chops, I hope this example clear your doubt. The biggest problem here is how do we know it is a fake if we have never seen the real one before? In recent years, many books have been produced which includes examples of a large number of master pieces ever created. Such books can be used as a reference and you can always confirmed the authenticity with other connoisseurs. Do not buy if you are unable to proof beyond a doubt.

I would really advised that potential collectors NOT TO treat the seal chop as a reference point to judge the standard of the teapot. If the chop is by a master craftsman, then the workmanship of the teapot should be that of a master. No excuses for poorly finished corners or unrefined joints. Never convince yourself that the teapot is real based on the seal chop and overlook the poor workmanship. If you get cheated by adopting such practice and attitude, then you got yourself to blame. If the chop is that of a unknown, we can then be more forgiving when judging the workmanship of the teapot.
Seals chops before 1960s are usually made of wood. Those after 1960s are made of stone or metal. The imprint from a wooden seal chop is distinctively different from those made of metal or stone as shown in the photos above. Knowing this can serve as a simple and fast method of determining the age of teapots. Teapots without timber seal chops cannot be older than 1960s. Having a timber seal chop however does guarantee that it is made before the 1960s.

Fake Teapot 1 
Recently, I come across this teapot which was claimed to be from early 19th century.
However, after studying the teapot in detail, I found many things that does not matched what the seller has claim. First, I found out that this particular type of teapot is known in chinese as “Yu Huo Long” and it was created by craftmaster, Chao Da Hern in mid-Qing dynasty. This mean that the teapot was created sometime in late 18th century. This teapot is definitely not Chao’s creation because his seal was not present and the workmanship is real bad. Secondly, in Chao’s original piece, the dragon has got double eye lids but this teapot has got single eye lid. Thirdly, the original dragon was very vivid as compared to this lifeless dragon. Chao Da Hern is a famous master potter during that era. We would expect nothing less than first rate workmanship from him. It is definitely a copy of the original.
Now, how do we determine if the teapot is actually that old. A old teapot which have been around for 200 hundred years must have telltale signs of its age, so how can it be brand new?. Even if it is kept in a perfect condition, it must have gone thru many owners. So if we supposed that each owner use it for just a year, the teapot would have developed a super glossy patina on its outer surface and signs of tea stains in the inner surface of the teapot. But all these are missing from this teapot, so do you think that it is really 200 years old. Definitely not!
Of course, there are arguments that what if the teapot was really kept in a perfect unused condition? I do not disagreed that it could happen but if you understand the chinese culture of that period than you probably would not even think of this possibility. Chinese in the 19th century are avid tea drinkers. Each teapot (especially those by masters) are treasured by many scholars and commoners alike. Each and every teapot is bought for use and never for display because it is not the tradition.
Next, we look at the selling price. Price is a good indication of what sort of product you are buying. Nobody price a volvo for $500 or a loaf of bread for $50 unless you does not know the market value of the product. The seller bought this for $200 from Sotheby but why would Sotheby priced a 19th century teapot at $200 when they priced other late Qing-period teapots being auctioned in Taiwan for more then $5000? Obiviously something is not right here. Maybe you know the reasons?

Next, is the teapot made of zisha clay? Difficult to say but based on the photo, it does seems like zisha. However, from the seller we know that Sotheby auctioned this teapot to him, so it would not be unreasonable for us to consider the teapot as made from zisha.The reason is that even if the seller is not well versed in this field, Sotheby should be able to distinguish between a real and fake Yixing even if they are not capable of telling its age.
Finally, if the teapot is not a early 19th century teapot, then when on earth was it made? Based on the clay properties, the workmanship in certain parts of the teapot and authenticating it with other teapot connoisseurs, we are sure that this teapot is made in the 1980s.
Above is an example of a modern day “Yu Huo Long” teapot by Master Wang Yin Xian. Note the difference in details? You can be sure that the piece done by Chao Da Hern is just as good. Fakes or copies are usually of bad workmanship because it is crafted by the unskilled.

Fake Teapot 2 
This example is similiar to the above but it have a few interesting points that we can learn from. How do you tell that it is not a 19th century teapot? First, as I mentioned above, it has no signs of being used at all. Secondly, we know that there are teapots of such design during that period which also include lions other than cows. The critical give away sign however is the location of the air vent hole. In this teapot it is at the mouth of the cow, but in actual teapots of that period, the vent hole is either at the leg or near the stomach of the animal, never at the mouth!
Also, the outline of the cow is poorly crafted as compared to the original. The fourth factor is the spout. Spouts of teapots in 19th century are long and narrow but the spout of this teapot is short and stout, a copy of master craftsman, He Dao Zhong’s creation in the 1980s. Last, but not least, is the selling price of this teapot which I have already discussed above.

Word of Caution 
I know that some of you may comment that I can never be sure since I have not handled the actual teapot. I agreed with that statement but it depends on the kind of teapot being authenticated. In some cases, even after analysing the photos I am unable to be 100% sure that it is a fake or the real stuff, then I will need to handle the teapot. But in the above examples, the photos are clear enough for me to make a confident authentication of 90%. Still, my advise for all potential collectors are: try to handle the actual teapot when making authentication so that you will learn better.

If you think that authenticating Yixing teapots are a breeze after reading my other article, then you probably realized now that it is not easy and requires expert knowledge. However, I can assure you that if you put in the hardwork and gained the skill to authenticate Yixing teapots, nothing is gonna beat the enjoyment you get out of authenticating Yixing teapots.