From A Foolish Buyer To A Purple Clay Teapot Collector

by Jason Jia

[I:http://marketerssolutions.com/tea/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/JasonJia19.jpg]It seems to be a rule that a serious tea lover is inevitably picky in his tea and tea ware. In China, there are a number of famous Yixing purple clay teapot collectors. Can you imagine how much they love their collectibles? Mr. Liu Tianbao is one of them. This article tells about his real-life experience.

The Costly Lesson

Liu started collecting purple clay teapots because of his contact with flowerpots. When he was a child, his father had a great taste for miniature landscapes and owned a number of purple clay flowerpots. Liu was unconsciously influenced by what he saw and heard, and gradually took up collecting purple clay.

Back in the 1970’s, Beijing did not have as many antique markets as today. The only places featuring traditional handicrafts were Tian Qiao, Shi Cha Hai, and De Sheng Men. Following his father’s example, Liu visited these venues to hunt for valuable things.

One day, Liu hit a second-hand curio market. He purchased nearly 50 secondhand Yixing purple clay teapots! Then he hurried home excitedly, and dipped all the treasures into a tank. He was petrified by what he saw. The handles and spouts dropped one by one off the teapots. It turns out he bought many worthless, broken teapots pieced together by glue. He was taught a costly lesson.

Destiny’s Pot

[I:http://marketerssolutions.com/tea/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/JasonJia20.jpg]Many years later, a purple clay teapot caught his eye at a curio market in Tianjin. He wanted to buy it, but he couldn’t afford it. He had to let it go. But 10 years later, he miraculously came across the very same teapot once again at a secondhand curio market in Beijing. This time he caught the opportunity and purchased it straight away.

He concluded that this purple clay teapot was made by Pei Shimin, a master potter of Yixing in the late Qing Dynasty. It was covered with a layer of yellow glaze. The teapot, which had gone through two separate firings, was exceptionally beautiful. Nowadays, this kind of purple clay teapot can only be seen at the Forbidden City or in museums.

Broken Bones Instead of Broken Pots

Liu treasures his purple clay teapots to the uttermost, for he knows their intrinsic worth. One day he purchased a rare purple clay teapot from the late Qing dynasty. He felt very glad. He put the pot into his backpack with great care, and then rode away on his bike. On the way, he kept singing his favorite songs.

But unexpectedly, in order to avoid hitting an old man, he rolled and fell off his bike. At that moment, he held the teapot tightly in his arms, and let his hipbone smash into the ground first. Consequently, he was confined to bed for one year. It became a popular story among his friends: Liu would rather break his bone than to break his purple clay teapot!

Now Liu has been collecting purple clay teapots for over thirty years. He describes each of his unique teapots as his son. His collections prove that he has a sharp eye for purple clay teapots.

Liu thinks an Yixing purple clay teapot inevitably involves its creator’s ingenuity, workmanship, and vision. And he says a purple clay teapot embodies its collector’s ability to find good things, and a little luck.

About the Author:

Author J. Jia has studied Chinese pottery, paintings, and other art including Chinese teapots for 20+ years. Occasionally, he endorses skilled Chinese craftsmen. View some quality Yixing teapots here.