Monday, February 04, 2008
Posted by Miss Neddy at 09:13 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Related Teapots

We spoke of how teapots were useful for different kinds of teas in an earlier entry. Today’s entry is more on how to assess if a teapot is a good one. Most of the observations will be useful mainly for clay or earthenware teapots.

Unless you love intricately detailed teapots, it is best to go for a simply designed teapot. The simpler the shape, the harder it is to make well, and the easier it is to detect any flaws. A popular shape is the spherical teapot with a small spout, commonly known as the 西施壶 (Xīshī hú), named after the sickly but patriotic beauty*. A proper Xīshī hú is unadorned with any extraneous decorations, except perhaps a line of calligraphy on its side. Any imperfection in shape or surface will be easily discerned on such a teapot, and so while it is easy to learn how to make it, it is indeed hard to make it well.

When judging a teapot, it is not enough to merely view it; some handling must be involved. For clay teapots, especially Yixing teapots, ensure that the lid fits snugly into the pot. Yixing clay shrinks much less during firing than other clays, and so very tight-fitting lids can be fashioned. This makes the teapot airtight when steeping tea, which makes for better infusions. Feel gently around the edge of the teapot opening and the lid, in case there are any cracks or bumps. Don’t press too hard though, as newly made teapots have bits of clay attached, which are fairly easily cleaned off, but can be quite sharp if you rub across them. If you do feel any bits of clay, give it a light scratch. If it’s a loose piece, it will come off easily; if not, then it is a fixed part of the pot and is an imperfection. 

Next, check for the symmetry and balance of the teapot. Remove the lid and lay the teapot down on a flat surface upside-down (so that it is resting on its opening and the spout is pointing down). It it was made level, then it should rest in a stable position, without any rocking. Look at the base; you should be able to draw an imaginary straight line from the tip of the spout to the outermost edge of the handle that goes through the absolute centre of the base. If the spout or handle is off-centre, it will make for difficult handling when pouring. Of course, there are certain teapots where the handle is not an ear-like shape against the side of the pot, but sweeps upwards over the opening, known as a 提梁壶 (tíliáng hú - a literal translation of the name is a beam-handle, as in the beam of a roof). In that case, it would be impossible to turn the teapot upside-down. The principle remains the same though, if you view the teapot from above. This test applies no matter how intricately a teapot is made, in any possible shape - and there are so many shapes a teapot can take!

A teapot can be a highly geometric design, such as a sphere, a cube or an octahedron; it can resemble a curving crescent moon, a squash, or a lotus; lions may be carved upon it, or dragons; laughing buddhas may adorn the lids, or clouds, or bats; and some teapots may not look like teapots at all - you may not be able to see a spout, or where the lid is. Teapots can be a collector’s dream; no matter what your fancy is, there is a range of teapots that will match it. Of course, not all teapots are ideal for making tea; some are artistic pieces which look lovely on a shelf, but may be awkward to handle. Also, with the wide variety of shapes, one may find some easier to use than others. With my small hands, I find the tíliáng hú, easier to use, as it is easier for me to hold down the teapot lid when my hand is right above it, rather than to one side. On the contrary, I have friends who find the tíliáng hú awkward, as they have to turn their wrist at a different angle to pour.

*As an aside, I always felt that the plump, round teapot shape would be more appropriately named after the more voluptuous beauty Yáng Guífēi, but as Xī Shī’s father was a tea trader, it is perhaps just as well. Moreover, the West Lake in Hangzhou - famous for its Lóngjǐng tea - is commonly associated with Xī Shī, so her affinity with tea does run fairly deep.

Next entry: Top 10
Previous entry: All Those Letters