A. Understanding the Purple Clay Pot

From the moment it is fired, the Purple Clay Pot is destined to be associated with tea for life. A Purple Clay Pot that is not used to make tea is like losing its life. The body has no meaning. This point has long been recognized among tea lovers. However, as the purple clay becomes increasingly scarce, when we want to buy a satisfying, high-end and high-grade purple clay pot, we suddenly find that the high price has made the purple clay pot an investment variety, even if it is a few An ordinary purple clay teapot that could be bought for 1,800 yuan a year ago has now gone up in price, reaching 10,000 yuan, not to mention the famous purple clay teapots that are made by famous craftsmen or have been around for a long time. According to statistics from "Treasure", the highest auction price for a purple clay teapot so far is a Qianlong carved red purple clay teapot with dragon patterns and a Qianlong pattern at Christie's Hong Kong in 2002. The piece was sold for HKD 1.477 million. Therefore, how to appreciate and maintain purple clay teapots has risen to the level of collection and investment. The investment and collection of purple clay teapots has also become another understanding of tea culture for literati. No matter how many people who are well versed in tea talk about their understanding of tea ceremony, without a good purple clay teapot, accompanied by Excellent tea, but all this lacks foundation and credibility. Tea lovers and tea appreciators can savor the subtle fragrance of tea and feel the tranquility and comfort while playing with it.

Three tips for buying purple clay teapots: precision, authenticity and accuracy

Today’s investment in purple clay teapots still relies on choosing the best among the best. First of all, the variety must be "fine". Master-level works are still rising steadily. Even in 2001, when the purple clay teapot market was in a downturn, when the price of purple clay teapots made by modern famous artists dropped by 20%, master-level works were still as solid as a rock. For example, the price of teapots made by the deceased master Gu Jingzhou currently remains at 100,000 to 200,000 yuan. The market price of some fine works by modern senior craftsmen is over 10,000 yuan, but the works of assistant craftsmen only cost about 1,000 yuan. The gap between the two is as big as the sky.

Secondly, appreciation must be "true". The vast majority of counterfeit goods are shoddily manufactured, and a large number of them belong to street stalls. Investors can choose those merchants with "good roots" or go to auction houses to bid, and the risk factor will be greatly reduced. To identify the authenticity of a purple clay teapot, one can tell from its bright color, which appears matt after being touched by human hands for a long time. Newly made pots are generally looser in texture, yellow in color, and mostly dull. Even if it is shiny, it is polished with white wax or shoe polish. Looking at the text, the inscriptions on the old pots are all in Yangwen, and the fonts are extremely neat. If a new pot uses Yang script, the font will be imitated or appear dull, or the strokes will be of varying lengths and thicknesses. If an old pot is used to engrave a new style, the engraved text will be inscriptions.

Finally, the market price must be "accurate". In the high-end market, Qing Dynasty purple clay teapots still dominate the market. Judging from the sales of purple clay teapots over the years, purple clay teapots from the Qing Dynasty accounted for 80%. However, due to the reluctance of collectors to sell high-quality teapots and the scarcity of purple clay teapots from the Ming and Qing dynasties, the market has been relatively sluggish in the past two years. Although the market price of purple clay teapots rebounded slightly in 2004, and a "Jinsha internal use" purple clay teapot also ranked second in the past price of purple clay teapots at a price of 550,000 yuan, the overall increase was still not large. According to expert estimates, the best The market situation should be two years from now. Market downturns are good investment opportunities. Instead of spending tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands on a purple clay teapot from the Ming and Qing dynasties, it is better to consider investing in a moderately priced purple clay teapot. For example, collecting purple clay teapots from the Republic of China, with prices ranging from a hundred yuan to ten thousand yuan. An ordinary purple clay teapot from the Republic of China. A purple clay teapot only costs about 100 yuan, and some hand-painted purple clay teapots by celebrities, such as Zhang Daqian, Qi Baishi, and Fu Baoshi, generally cost between 40,000 and 50,000. Investors must be cautious when purchasing, and may also consider collecting some modern craft masters. of exquisite products. Generally, such investment cycle is relatively short and the investment amount is small, but its value appreciates quickly, so it is suitable for short-term investors to consider.

The above are only three basic principles for purchasing and collecting purple clay teapots. How to accurately grasp these three words requires detailed understanding from the following aspects.

Knowledge of teapots: Four characteristics of purple clay teapots

Chinese people have a long history of admiring purple clay teapots. The earliest purple clay teapot can be traced back to Fan Li - "Tao Zhugong" in the Spring and Autumn Period, but the teapot was actually made after the Chongzhengde period of Mingwu. It is said that in the streets of Yixing in ancient times, one day a monk suddenly walked down the street and shouted: "We are selling rich soil! Whoever buys rich soil will become rich and wealthy." In fact, the monk was referring to the raw material of purple clay pots. The clay raw materials for purple clay teapots are composed of purple clay, green clay and red clay, commonly known as "rich clay". Because it is produced in Yixing, Jiangsu Province and is mainly purple clay, it is called Yixing purple clay.

Purple sand mud is purple mud mined from mineral deposits, commonly known as raw mud. In addition to being made from purple clay, green clay or red clay alone, purple clay pots are also fired with different ingredient ratios and temperatures to appear purple but not beautiful, red but not bright, black but not ink, and green but not green. Tender, as iron as stone, with the text in one vessel, white and beautiful in three stops, looking at it from a distance, black as a bell and tripod in Chen Mingting, chasing after it, looking at it, as bright as a Wan, Yan and floating elite. After firing, the heat preservation and moisture permeability of the purple clay teapot are very ideal. It is not an exaggeration to call it "the first tea set in the world".

Why are purple clay teapots so popular among tea lovers? It is mainly determined by its unique properties:

First of all, when a purple clay teapot is used for a long time, "tea rust" accumulates on the wall of the teapot. When boiling water is poured into an empty pot, the fragrance of tea will also be diffused. This is different from the quality of the purple clay teapot. It is related to porosity, which is the unique quality of purple clay teapots.

Secondly, it has a good taste-preserving function. The original flavor will not be lost when brewing tea, and there will be no peculiar smell brought by the tea set itself. Get the true aroma and taste of tea. "Changwu Zhi" said that it "neither takes away the fragrance, nor has the smell of cooked soup".

Third, old tea will not go rancid, and it will not get greasy moss over the summer, which is helpful for washing and maintaining the hygiene of the teapot itself. This is because the ceramic lid of the purple clay pot has holes, which can absorb water vapor and accelerate the fermentation of the tea.

Fourthly, it has good thermal and cold denaturation. In the cold winter months, if boiling water is poured into the pot, it will never burst due to sudden changes in temperature. At the same time, the sand conducts heat slowly, so the pot will not burn when you hold it. It can also be heated over a slow fire and will not crack due to fire.

Taking a teapot: clay, shape, workmanship, style, style

Taking a good purple clay teapot can be summed up in five words: “clay, shape, workmanship, style, achievement". The first four characters are artistic standards, and the last one is functional standards.

The first is "mud": the fundamental reason why the purple clay teapot is famous in the world is the superiority of the raw material purple clay mud. The phrase "appreciating and stroking is in one's hands" can illustrate the importance of the feel of a purple sand watch. The feel of purple clay is different from other clays. Touching purple clay objects is like touching bean paste - fine but not greasy. Non-purple clay objects are like filmy glassware - sticky. The popular sand-paved pots in recent years emphasize this. The product of germplasm table feel.

The second is "shape": the shape of the purple clay teapot is the richest among all types of utensils in existence. It is known as "square is not the same type, round is not the same". The generous one loves magnanimity, the delicate one loves elegance, the clumsy one loves clumsiness, and the playful one loves fun. From a cultural perspective, the author believes that simplicity is the best, generosity comes second, elegance comes third, and fun is the last. First of all, the purple clay teapot is an integral part of the entire tea culture. The artistic conception it pursues should be the "indifferent peace, transcendence and refinement" pursued by the tea ceremony, and Guzhuo is most harmonious with this atmosphere. For example, traditional shapes such as stone peaches, well railings, monk hats, balls, eggplant segments, solitary chestnuts, plum blossoms, antiques, etc. are all the only outstanding works that have been washed away by the times. Looking at them carefully with today's eyes, they are still shining. .

The third is "work": In terms of "work", purple clay teapots combine the boldness of freehand Chinese painting and the rigor of Peking opera arias. The three elements of points, lines and surfaces are like meticulous paintings, with twists and turns and ups and downs. The surface must be light, and it must be hairy; the line must be straight, and it must be curved; the point must be square, and it must be round, without any ambiguity. According to the special requirements of the purple clay pot molding process, the spout and handle must be absolutely in line, and the weight must be balanced, and the spout and lid must be tightly combined.

The fourth is "style": "style" is the style of the pot. There are two meanings in appreciating the style of a purple clay pot: one is to identify the author of the pot, or the author of the poem and inscription. Another meaning is to appreciate the content of the inscription, the engraved calligraphy and painting, and the seal (inscriptions on gold and stone). The decorative art of purple clay pots integrates the four traditional Chinese arts of "poetry, calligraphy, painting and sealing". A good purple clay teapot brings beautiful enjoyment to pot appreciators not only in terms of clay color, shape, and production skills, but also in many aspects such as literature, calligraphy, painting, and epigraphy.

The fifth is "gong": "gong" refers to the functional beauty of the pot. In recent years, new products of purple clay teapots have emerged one after another, and they are as bright as stars. When pot makers pay attention to the formal beauty of the shape, they tend to overlook the functional beauty. The biggest difference between a purple clay teapot and other works of art is that it is a highly practical work of art. Its "art" lies entirely in "use" and "quality". If the meaning of "use" is lost, "art" will also Cease to exist.

Choose a teapot: practicality, craftsmanship, art

Purple clay teapots combine functional practicality and appreciation of art. Pot art enthusiasts may wish to consider this when choosing a purple clay teapot. Consider these three aspects:

First, the practicality of the purple clay teapot. Purple clay teapots are used to make tea, and the functionality of the teapot is given priority. Excellent practical functions refer to its appropriate size and capacity, appropriate height, the larger one can hold several liters of water, and the smaller one can only hold a cup; the handle is easy to carry, and the center of gravity is stable; the lid is tight, and the water is smooth; it allows people to drink tea. Tea can be handy. According to the current family tea drinking habits, generally two to five people gather to drink, and the best capacity is 350 ml. It only takes a lift of hands whether it is held in hand or carried, so it is called a "one-hand teapot".

The second is the craftsmanship of the purple clay teapot. It not only refers to the technical level of production, but also the criterion for judging the quality of pot art. In addition to the flow, handle, button, lid, shoulders, belly, and ring foot of the teapot, a good purple clay teapot should be in harmony with the overall proportion of the teapot body, including length, thickness, height, squareness, and roundness, as well as the straightness, firmness, softness, stability, and fullness of the lines. The transitions of points, lines, and surfaces are explained clearly and smoothly. Pay attention to whether the pot surface is round, smooth and textured. Touch the inner wall of the pot with your hands to see if it is fine, check if the lid is damaged, whether the cap has fallen off when pouring into the pot body, and whether the overall shape of the pot feels natural.

The third is the artistry of the purple clay teapot. Zisha art is a form of artistic creation that "comes from life and is higher than life". A good purple clay pot not only pays attention to the perfection of form and exquisite production skills, but also examines the appropriate pattern, decorative materials and production techniques. Besides, ceramic artists will incorporate unique inner experiences into their creations, so they must be able to express the language of art. It should not only be easy to use, but also be able to cultivate temperament, enlighten the soul, and give people a spontaneous artistic feeling.

Using the Pot: Five Steps to Making Tea

Each purple clay teapot is generally paired with only one kind of tea. As for which tea to match, it depends on the characteristics of each purple clay teapot. It depends on the clay quality, size, shape and pot-opening technique. Tea drinkers who pay attention to tea usually use a volume of 800CC-200CC. A tall pot is small, suitable for brewing black tea; a short pot is large, suitable for brewing green tea. The general procedure for making tea in a purple clay pot is:

Warm the pot and cup: Boil the inside and outside of the teapot and the tea cup with boiling water, which can not only clean the pot to remove mold, but also warm the pot to wake up the smell.

Putting tea: Look at the shape of the dry tea, smell the aroma of the dry tea, select the tea, pick up about one-fifth to one-half of the teapot's capacity, and put it into the teapot.

Warm soaking: Pour boiling water into the pot, and then pour the water out immediately. If there is foam on the tea soup surface, pour boiling water until it is almost full, and then use the pot lid to gently scrape off the foam floating on the tea soup surface. The purpose of this process is to wash the tea and make the tea leaves thick and stretched after absorbing a certain amount of water, which is conducive to the development of aroma and taste when making the first tea soup.

For the first brew: when using green tea, the appropriate water temperature should be 80 degrees Celsius; when using black tea, oolong tea, Pu'er tea, and Tuo tea, the water temperature should be maintained at 90-100 degrees Celsius. After soaking for about 60 seconds, pour the tea soup in the pot into the milk cup with the tea filter (this cup is called a fair cup in the tea ceremony). This is called washing the tea; then pour the tea in the milk cup separately and smell the aroma. In the cup and mouth cup, you can drink it. For each subsequent soak, the soaking time is appropriately extended. It is advisable to make 6 to 12 brews of tea. After making tea, be sure to remove the tea leaves from the pot and scald them with boiling water.

Finally, take out the lid, place the bottom of the pot facing the sky, and the mouth of the pot facing the ground to dry naturally. To prevent the mouth of the pot from being worn, you can lay a layer of cotton cloth with better water absorption on the ground. Do not use detergent or other detergents to clean the purple clay teapot, as the purple clay will absorb the smell of the cleaning agent and destroy the aroma of the tea.

Keeping a teapot: being happy and nourishing your character

If an expensive purple clay teapot is not carefully maintained, its value will be greatly reduced with the passage of time. Raising a pot is an elegant and fun part of the tea ceremony. Although its purpose is the "vessel", the protagonist is still the "people". Raising a pot means nourishing one’s nature. The reason why "raising a pot" is called "raising" is precisely because it can "enjoy the mood and nourish the nature".

When drinking tea, you can pour the tea soup on the purple clay pot, so that the tea soup is easily evaporated by the heat of the pot, and at the same time, it is also easy to be absorbed by the surface of the pot body, or when cleaning the teapot and tea sets every morning, use the pot Rub the tea residue in the pot all over the body, which can not only wipe away the tea dirt and slag marks on the pot, but also grind the wet tea leaves in water to make the pot smooth and shiny. After being poured with tea juice, washed and wiped over time, the purple clay teapot will become softer and more beautiful. People call this method "tea soup nourishes the teapot".

When a new pot is used for the first time, it will inevitably have a bit of an earthy smell. You can use fine gauze to rub it slightly, wash it with water, put it in a pot with thicker tea water, boil it and let it dry. Repeat this to make tea. Regardless of whether it is a new or old teapot, after making tea with boiling water, while the surface temperature of the pot body is relatively high, you can use a wet towel or a clean wet cloth to wipe the pot body. The watermarks will be wiped off and dried. Repeat this several times until the temperature of the pot body drops. You can also rub it with your hands, because your palms are oily and sweaty, which will help the pot body to be smooth. After three or four months of persistence, the new pot will generally have a "dark light".

There will be tea stains on the surface of the pot, so you need to use a pot care brush or a soft-bristled toothbrush to scrub the surface of the pot frequently to keep it clean. If it is wiped and washed every day, the surface of the pot will have a matte layer, which is called "bao pulp" (Bao pulp). This matte will not fade away due to high temperature and high pressure washing, which is very elegant and tasteful. Some people also use oily hands or oil cloth to wipe the body of the pot, and the light that appears is called "monk's light". Once washed with detergent, the light will fade away, revealing patches of dirt and scars, which is very suspected of disfigurement. "Yangxian Famous Pottery" "Records" says, "If you take care of the dirt and stains, rub your sleeves and rub them, lest you wipe them away and say, I will treasure their old colors. I don't know that the water is unclean and can be used as dirt." Therefore, do not get oily dirt on the body of the pot. Only by keeping the pot clean can the pot be well maintained.

There is also a more special method of raising pots: Grind the tiles (Jiangnan black earth tiles) into very fine powder, wrap them with six layers of gauze into loquat-sized cloth balls, and pour the tea into the pot. When using the teapot, dip the gauze ball into the tea soup and gently stroke the pot body in order to make it clean and smooth. Today, you can use fine abrasive powder instead of tile powder to make gauze balls and achieve the same desired effect.

Carefully select tea leaves, put them into a purple clay pot and soak them. Do you think the "Seven Bowls of Tea Song" written by Lu Tong of the Tang Dynasty is floating in your ears?

"...One bowl moistens the throat, two bowls relieve the loneliness and depression. Three bowls search the dry intestines, but only five thousand volumes of text. Four bowls make light sweat, and all the injustices in life are dispersed into the pores. Five The muscles and bones of the bowl are clear, and the six bowls are connected to the immortal spirit. I can't eat the seven bowls, but I can feel the breeze blowing in my arms. Where is Penglai Mountain?"

B ,

Purple clay tea set has a unique shape, simple color, elegant and exquisite, generous decoration, and unique temperament. It integrates epigraphy, calligraphy, painting, and sculpture art. It has extremely high artistic appreciation and practical value. It is a great contribution to the Chinese culture. A great gem. The purple sand teapot has a particularly novel and ingenious shape. Some are like tree stumps, some are like bamboo joints, and some are like melons and fruits; some are bionic flowers and trees, some are pictographic birds and beasts, some are geometric figures, or some are antique utensils; "The square is not one type, and the circle is not one." "Phase", the utensils have thousands of shapes and are indescribably wonderful; they are engraved with poetry, painted with calligraphy and painting, and inlaid with gold and silver, showing elegance and splendor. No wonder the purple sand teapot is unique in the world and is famous all over the world. It has become a favorite collectible treasure in the world.

The production process of purple clay pottery must start with purple clay. The raw materials used in purple clay pottery are purple clay, green clay (Benshan green) and red clay. They are collectively called purple clay and are produced from purple clay. It is intercalated in the mud layer under the rock. Benshan Green is the fat of the purple mud layer, so Benshan Green Clay is known as "rock within rock" and "mud within mud". Red mud is produced in the mud layer at the bottom of tender mud mines. It is as hard as stone, so it is called vermilion mud. Purple sand mud belongs to kaolin and quartz mica types. Its characteristics are higher iron content and coarser particles, so other clays cannot compare in beauty. The three raw materials of purple mud, green mud and red mud can be used individually or mixed with each other according to needs. The newly mined purple sand mud cannot be directly swollen with water. It must be scattered in the open air, weathered and aged for several months, then crushed, sieved, mixed with water, and processed into gray clay (semi-finished product), which can be made into clay. Purple clay ware does not need to be glazed. After being fired in a kiln with an oxidizing flame at 1100°C to 1200°C, purple clay ware with elegant color, fine texture and durability can be obtained. The color of purple sand is mainly purple, so it is called purple sand pottery. Due to the different ratios of raw materials, you can also get cinnabar purple, deep purple maroon, pear skin, crabapple red, azure, cyan gray, dark green, dark black, etc. different colors.

The excellent properties and characteristics of purple sand clay are as follows: 1. Plasticity, more obedient than other ceramic raw materials or clay, allowing a very wide range of molding, different from ordinary pottery clay, not easy to deform after being fired at high temperature, the finished product is The shrinkage rate of the green body is only ten percent. 2. After the purple sand ware is fired at high temperature, the finished product can maintain a water absorption rate of 2% and a porosity of 2%. 3. Purple clay ware is unglazed inside and out, and when used as a tea set, the contents will not have any adverse effects. 4. Purple clay pottery can withstand sudden changes in heat and cold. There is no risk of bursting when making tea in winter. It can be stewed over a slow fire without bursting. Due to the slow heat transfer, it is not easy to be touched when used.

5. Purple clay teapots are durable, and with repeated cleaning, they will spontaneously emit a dull light, which can be seen in hand. Therefore, the body of the purple clay teapot has a jade-colored crystal light, and its breath is gentle. It is a pleasure to play with and rub it while drinking.

C.

Purple clay teapot shaping method and identification standards:

(1) Geometric type; (2) Natural type; (3) Ribbed type , roughly divided into three types.

1. Geometric type, commonly known as light goods. The design and production of light goods are the best way to identify skills. Light goods refer to different body parts in the entire prison. The requirement is that each process must be complete. Bones and flesh, both flesh and blood, must have their own characteristics, character and norms. These clear requirements are based on simple lines and relatively rich content for people to examine the pros and cons of their skills. The aesthetic taste varies from person to person, and the superior skills It is difficult to insist on uniformity, but when seeking change in unity, we should realize that the squares are not the same, and the circles are different. We should seek unity in change, such as traditional ball-shaking, bamboo drum pots, Hanjun pots, Hepan pots, square pots, and ti Bipots, foreign barrels, etc.

2. Natural tea sets more directly imitate natural objects or man-made objects as the basic form of the shape. The jargon is called "flower goods". When imitating objective images in this type of works, they are divided into two types. One is to directly evolve the typical object of a certain object into the shape of a pot, such as a pumpkin pot, a persimmon flat pot, and a plum-shaped pot; The first type is the geometric type. On the pot barrel, select the appropriate part and use decorative carving or openwork methods to attach a certain typical image, such as evergreen pot, primrose pot, plum-shaped pot, and bamboo-jointed pot. etc. Purple clay tea sets are arranged according to their unique form, which is usually called transformation processing.

3. The rib pattern is a type of pot created by purple clay artists during their long-term production practice. There are roughly three types of body processing between rib patterns: the first is a rhombus style pot, the second is a pot made with chrysanthemum or melon and fruit patterns, and the third is a variation of the second. The ribs are in the shape of concave linear lines.

The criteria for identifying the quality of purple clay teapots can be summarized into four elements; three main factors, summarized in five words;

1. Four elements: If we talk about this sand in an abstract way, The aesthetics of pot art can be summarized as four elements: shape, spirit, energy and state. "Shape" refers to the beauty of form, and the outer contour of the work is the concrete appearance. "Shen" means charm, a meaning that can make people experience the spirit. "Qi" refers to temperament, the essential beauty of all connotations of pot art; "state" refers to form, the various postures of the work such as high, bottom, fat, thin, rigid, soft, square and round. It's a perfect piece of work.

2. To evaluate the connotation of a purple clay teapot, three main factors must be present:

Perfect image structure, exquisite production skills and excellent practical functions. The image structure refers to the spout, lever, lid, button, and feet of the pot, which should be in harmony with the overall proportion of the pot body. Exquisite craftsmanship is the criterion for judging the quality of purple clay teapots. Excellent blouse function refers to the appropriate volume and weight, the handle, handle, and surrounding seams of the pot, and the smooth flow of water from the spout. At the same time, the refined and harmonious color, ground, and pattern must also be considered.

What are the properties, chemical composition, molecular structure, water absorption, air permeability, purple clay pot bubbles, functions of tea infusion, pot shape, color and luster, and craft skills of authentic purple clay and purple clay raw materials? As well as decorative methods, artistic styles, masterpieces by famous people, and historical evolution, the key to appreciating purple sand is that it is light, deep, mysterious, and divine. The key lies in how you enter the door of pot appreciation to increase your understanding. Zisha teapots have always been divided into four grades: daily necessities teapots (i.e., high-end goods), handicraft teapots (i.e., fine goods), special crafts (i.e., works by celebrities), and works of art (i.e., works rich in artistic life). It can be summarized in five words: “clay, shape, work, style, and function”. The first four characters belong to the artistic standard, and the last four characters belong to the work standard.

The first is "clay". The name of the purple clay pot is inseparable from its production techniques, but the fundamental reason is the special superior properties of purple clay. Many ceramic monographs analyze the raw materials of purple clay. At that time, it was said to contain iron oxide. In fact, mud containing iron oxide is found in many parts of the country, but purple sand cannot be produced elsewhere, only purple mud. The key is not the iron oxide, but the "purple clay". The word "sand". According to modern scientific analysis, the molecules of purple clay are indeed different from other clays. Even the same purple clay has different structures. Due to the raw material oil, the functional effects brought by it also give people different sensory experiences. , so to evaluate the quality of a purple clay teapot, the first thing to consider is the quality of the purple clay clay.

The second is "shape".

The shape of the purple clay teapot is the richest among all the utensils in existence. It is known that the square shape is not the same and the round shape is not the same. How to evaluate these shapes is also a matter of opinion, because the social function of art is to meet people's psychological needs. Since there are all kinds of people, there will be all kinds of psychology, that is, the generous ones love generous, the elegant ones love delicate ones, the clumsy ones love the clumsy ones, and the fun-loving ones love fun. Everyone has their own love, and you can’t force it. , the author believes that the ancient teapot is the best, because the purple clay teapot is an integral part of the entire tea culture, and the artistic conception it pursues should be the artistic conception pursued by the tea ceremony. The artistic conception pursued by the tea ceremony is "indifferent and peaceful" and "unworldly". Ancient Zhuo is the most harmonious with this kind of atmosphere, so Ancient Zhuo is the best. The shape of the purple clay pot is all based on feeling. The pot makers talk about equalization and equal potential. According to the theory of shaping, it is "balance". If you talk about many advanced theories, it is likely that the explanation will become more and more unclear. It is not a famous saying, which can only be understood but cannot be expressed in words. The artistic feeling depends entirely on the sound of the heart and the understanding of the soul, which is the so-called "heart-to-heart communication".

The third is "work". Art has many things in common. The freehand brushwork of Chinese painting is one of boldness. The shaping techniques of purple clay teapots and the fine brushwork techniques of Chinese painting are similar to each other. They are also very rigorous. For example, dots, lines, and surfaces are The basic elements that make up the shape of a purple clay pot must be clearly explained in the process of forming the clay pot. Just like in gongbi painting, the starting and finishing of the brush, the twists and turns, and the rhythm and beats must all be explained clearly. The face must be light and light, and the hair must be hairy; the lines must be straight and straight, and the points must be curved and curved; the points must be square and round, and there must be no confusion at all. Otherwise, it cannot be regarded as a qualified purple clay teapot. According to the special requirements of the molding process of the purple clay pot, the spout and the lever must be absolutely in a straight line and the weight must be balanced; the spout and lid must be tightly combined. All of the above are manual requirements.

The fourth is "money". The style is the identity of the pot. Appreciating a purple clay pot has two meanings. One is to identify the quality of the pot, who is the maker of the pot, the author of the inscription, and the inscription. The other meaning is to appreciate the content of the inscription on the surface of the purple clay pot and the connotation of calligraphy and painting engraved on it. and printing money. The decorative art of purple is also the last part of traditional Chinese decorative art. It has the remarkable feature of integrating the traditional four elements of "poetry, calligraphy, painting, and sealing". Therefore, when appreciating a purple clay pot, you should not only look at the clay color, shape, and production skills. In addition, there are also literature, calligraphy, painting, epigraphy, etc. Therefore, the appreciation of a purple clay teapot can bring people more and more beautiful enjoyment.

The fifth is "gong". The so-called gong refers to the functional beauty of the pot. in recent years. New products of purple clay teapots emerge in an endless stream, but some craftsmen only pay attention to the beauty of the shape and often ignore the function. Some problems directly affect the function of the clay teapot, and some purple clay teapots may even appear to be "appealing but not useful". situation. In fact, the biggest difference between purple clay teapots and other works of art is that purple clay teapots are highly practical. Its "art" is all in "use", if "quality" loses the meaning of use. "Art" no longer exists, so don't ignore the functional beauty of the purple clay teapot. What are the manifestations of the functional beauty of purple clay teapots? 1. Moderate capacity. 2. The height is appropriate. 3. Cover the mouth tightly. 4. The water should flow smoothly. According to the current habits of most tea drinkers, the best general capacity is 200-350 ml, and its capacity is about four cups. It only takes one hand to carry it. That’s why it’s called a one-hand pot. The height of the purple clay pot has its own use. A tall pot with a small spout is suitable for brewing black tea; a short pot with a large spout is suitable for brewing green tea; but it must be moderate. If it is too high, the tea will easily lose its flavor; if it is too short, the tea will easily overflow from the spout. The water coming out of the spout is also very important, and all of these are standards of functional beauty.

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