石破天聊紫砂：紫砂概述

Talking about Zisha: An Overview of Zisha

Overview of Zisha
  • foreword
    The content of this issue mainly talks about the most basic content of Zisha, aiming to systematically summarize Zisha, in order to achieve the role of popularizing Zisha knowledge
  • 1) A brief history of purple sand
    Chinese tea culture has a long history. Before the Han Dynasty, tea was mainly used for medicinal purposes. After the Tang Dynasty, it was widely used as a drink. In the Tang Dynasty, it was popular to make tea, and in the Song Dynasty, it was popular to order tea. Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, tea has become the main way of drinking tea in life.
    • The era when the name of Zisha appeared
      China has a long history of using pottery. Pottery appeared in Yangshao culture at least 7,000 years ago. Yixing has a relatively early history of ceramic manufacturing. So far, there are 9 ancient kilns in Sui, Tang and Five Dynasties, and more than 20 in Song and Yuan Dynasties. There are more than 60 kilns in Ming and Qing Dynasties, indicating that the ceramic industry in Yixing has not been interrupted. The extensive use of clay to make pottery began in the Song Dynasty. The name of Zisha is not known since ancient times. In ancient times, it was generally called Zini or Shahu, or directly called Yangxian Shahu. In the poems of the Song Dynasty, Ziou was used. The term purple sand appeared widely in the literary works of the Ming and Qing dynasties. 1. "Yangzhou Painting Boat Volume Four" (Li Dou, Qing Dynasty) "The sand pot was created by monks in Jinsha Temple, and the pot was made of purple sand clay, which was marked with finger rib." Quyuan) "I waited for more than an hour before I saw Master Shen holding a purple sand teapot" 3. "The Tenth Chapter of Nie Haihua" (Qing Dynasty, Zeng Pu): "Looking back, it was his wife. Sitting on a low chair next to the table, there are more than a dozen Kangxi five-harvest chicken pots on the table, and several Gong Chun famous pots made of purple sand. The pots are full of the first famous spring in Huishan, Wuxi. In the middle are a few pinch of fragrant tea from Wuyi Mountain”​4. Xu Wei of the Ming Dynasty:​“The spring tea in Huqiu is wonderfully steamed, and the seven bowls do not rise. The old Qingluo has the title of Guyu, and the new purple sand can buy Yixing. But from Meiyue Cross the three lanes, stir the pine wind and a lamp. Together, I said to Wu Nongtong, so that I can put ice on the jade pot." 5. "Linghai Lanyan" (Qing District Jin Ce): "Wuxi purple sand basin, The nature is most suitable for Lan.”​
    • Ming Dynasty purple sand
      • Now it is generally believed that the originator of the purple sand pot is Jinsha Temple monk, and the earliest purple sand pot is the offering spring pot. But the really unearthed purple sand teapot is still Wu Jingliang, which came from the tomb of Wu Jing in Ming Dynasty.
        • Wu Jing, the eunuch of the Ming Dynasty during the Jiajing period.
        • Spring offering pot
          It was purchased by Mr. Chu Nanqiang at an antique stall in Suzhou in the 1930s, but the cover was missing. After the famous pot maker Huang Yulin in the Republic of China was equipped with a melon button cover, and later identified by the contemporary calligraphy master Mr. Huang Binhong (deceased), he felt that it was a tree gall. There will be no melon buttons on the body of the pot, and later by Pei Shimin (deceased), a famous pot maker in modern times, with a ganoderma lucidum cover. Ganoderma lucidum for spring has become a common model now. *According to the research of Gu Jingzhou, the existing offering spring pot is a fake.​
      • The representative figure of the purple sand artist in the Ming Dynasty was Shi Dabin
        • Shi Dabin
          (1573-1648) Shaoshan, also known as Dabin and Shibin. He was from Wanli in the Ming Dynasty to Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty, and was the son of Shi Peng, one of the famous "Four Great Masters" of purple sand. He mixed sand into the mud and created a pot made by mixing sand, which the ancients called "coarse and ancient texture of sand", which is unique.​
          • Shi Dabin is a generation master in the purple sand world, and has cultivated disciples such as Li Zhongfang and Xu Youquan. And Xu Youquan has done a lot of innovative work in the pot shape and clay material of Zisha, which has always influenced the Zisha artists of later generations.
      • The unique household registration system of the Ming Dynasty created a large number of workers who specialized in purple sand creation.
        The household registration system established in the Ming Dynasty enabled craftsmen to specialize in craftsmanship. This was a great innovation. Especially during the Renxuan period, Yixing purple sand craftsmen began to see a large number of workers with superb medical skills. After Zhengde, the production method and process of purple sand were basically formed, which was the prosperous period of the purple sand industry.
      • Economy and Exchange in the Middle Ming Dynasty
        Due to the needs of foreign exchanges in the Ming Dynasty, especially Zheng He's voyages to the West, a large amount of silk and ceramics was needed, which indirectly increased the employment opportunities for ceramic workers. In the foreign exchanges in the middle of the Ming Dynasty, ceramics has always been the main commodity.
      • The way of making tea and making tea that became popular in the Ming Dynasty
        The popular way of brewing tea in the mid-Ming Dynasty also urgently needed tools that can brew tea, which also promoted the development of Zisha. In the Ming Dynasty, Zisha was already the best choice for brewing tea.​
    • Qing Dynasty purple sand
      The Qing Dynasty was a mature period when Zisha became a literati style.
      • Kang and dry period
        • During the reigns of Emperor Kangxi and Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty, a great master of purple sand, Chen Mingyuan, appeared in the history of purple sand. [The epoch-making leader of the literati pot created the pattern and road of the diversification and literati style of Zisha pots, and laid a solid foundation for the development of Zisha for hundreds of years. Has a strong creative ability and influence. 】At that time, literati admired and admired Chen Mingyuan's purple sand skills, and it was a fortunate event that Chen Mingyuan made a poem and inscribed it.
          • Chen Mingyuan [Master of Flowers and Goods]
            Chen Mingyuan was born in a family of Zisha. He has made dozens of tea sets and elegant playware, all of which are exquisite. He also created the style of engraving poems and inscriptions on the body of the pot. The signature and seal are used together. The style is elegant and has the style of the prosperous Tang Dynasty. , the works are famous both at home and abroad. At that time, there was a saying of "overseas competing for a long-term dish", which made an outstanding contribution to the development history of purple sand pottery art. ​Representative works: Pumpkin pot, Shuchai Sanyou pot, Songduan pot
        • During the Qianlong period, such figures as masters Yang Pengnian, Yang Fengnian and Shao Daheng appeared. Shao Daheng is a master-level figure, which directly influenced the way of making pots and aesthetic habits of future generations. Until now, the pot shapes created by Shao Daheng are still classics.
          • Yang Pengnian
            Yang Pengnian, courtesy name Erquan, name Dapeng, was a famous artist who made Yixing purple clay teapots during the Jiaqing and Daoguang reigns of the Qing Dynasty (1796-1850), from Tongxiang, Zhejiang Province. Good at making tea pots, some are simple and elegant, some are exquisite and exquisite, and they are good at matching mud colors. He pioneered the technique of pinching the mouth without using molds and darkening the mouth. Although it is made at will, it also has a natural appearance. It is called "Pengnian Pot" in the world, and it has a great influence on later generations.
          • Yang Fengnian
            Younger sister of Yang Pengnian. Ingenious conception, exquisite relief, comparable to her brother, she is always recognized as the most famous female sand pot artist, with many handed down works. It is finished, the red sandalwood color is slightly bluish, exquisitely contained, as warm as jade. The "Bamboo Section Pot" is purple in color, calm and steady. The body of the pot is in the shape of bamboo sections. The mouth, cover and handle are all decorated with bamboo branches and leaves. Yixing Ceramics Museum.
          • Shao Daheng [The Shao family has made great contributions to the purple sand industry, including Shao Wenjin, Shao Wenyin, Shao Erquan, Shao Youlan, Shao Chunquan, etc. Gu Jingzhou's purple sand Kaimeng is his grandmother Shaw. 】
            Shao Daheng is a generation of master craftsmen after Chen Mingyuan. His pots are known for swinging, especially in the production of simple shapes, such as balls, antique pots, etc., which are simple and solemn, with extraordinary momentum, and highlight the simple and elegant grandeur of Zisha art. Nothing is better than that.” Its fish-turned-dragon pot is flexible and natural. His works have been regarded as treasures by tea addicts and collectors in the Qing Dynasty. It can be seen that his pot art reputation was high at that time. Representative works: De Zhong, Tycoon Puzhi, Tycoon Antique, Fish Transforming into Dragon, Punching Ball, Dragon Head Bagua and a bundle of bamboo​
          • Qu Ziye
            (1780-1849), whose name was Ying Shao, first named Yuehu, later changed to Qufu, styled Ziye, and also known as Laoye and Bichun. He is good at identifying inscriptions on stone and writing, collecting ancient artifacts, crafting poems, rulers and slips, calligraphy and painting, seal cutting, antiquity, and good orchid and bamboo. The best at drawing bamboo. "Ziye stone scoop" is his representative work, representing the literati pot after Mansheng .
          • Chen Hongshou【Mansheng】
            (1768-1822), a native of Qiantang (now Hangzhou, Zhejiang), a painter and seal carver. The word Zigong is named Mansheng, Mangong, Mangong, Gongshou, Yixu, Zhongyu Xianli, Zhongyu Xianke, Jiagu Pavilion Chief, Laoman, etc. He served as the acting magistrate of Ganyu, the magistrate of Liyang, and the same magistrate of Jiangnan Haiphong. His craftsmanship, poetry, calligraphy and painting, he is good at making Yixing Zisha teapots, which are called "Mansheng teapots". Calligraphy is better than line, cursive, seal and clerical styles. The running script is steep and elegant, and the books are opened vertically and horizontally, which is unique in the Qing Dynasty. The seal engraver is a master of the Qin and Han seals, involving Ding Jing, Huang Yi and others. The seal strokes are square and folded, the knife is bold, natural and casual, the sharp edges are exposed, the ancient clumsy is unrestrained, and the vastness is thick. It is one of the "Eight Houses of Xiling".
            • Man Sang Kettle
              Chen Hongshou is most famous for designing purple clay teapots besides gold and stone painting and calligraphy. He is the leader of the second generation of Zisha pot masters in China, Chen Hongshou and Yang Pengnian in the middle of the Qing Dynasty in Jiaqing and Daoguang years. He advocated innovation in making pots, because he advocated "poetry, calligraphy and painting, you don't have to be very homely", but you must see "natural interest". He put this artistic proposition into Zisha pottery art. Two major contributions to the formation of the pot world. The first major contribution is to combine poetry, calligraphy and painting with the pottery art of purple sand pots, inscriptions on the pots with bamboo knives, and carving and painting. The second major contribution is that with his talent, he improvised many novel styles of Zisha teapots, which brought vitality to the innovation of Zisha teapots. His cooperation with Yang Pengnian is exemplary. Now we see the purple clay pots made during the Jiaqing period, with the word "Pengnian" printed on the handle and bottom of the pot, or "Amanda Room", all of which were designed by Chen Hongshou and made by Yang Pengnian. It is called "Mansheng Pot". Chen Hongshou made purple sand pottery more literate. Although the production technology was not as sophisticated as that in the mid-Ming Dynasty, it had a great influence on later generations. He cooperated with Yang Pengnian, a famous pot maker at the time, and inscribed by him or his friends. This kind of purple clay pot, which is rich in literati art, was well-known at the time as "Mansheng pot", especially treasured by later generations. The Shanghai Museum has three albums of Chen Hongshou, with similar compositions, all of which are painted with purple clay pots and chrysanthemums. The three paintings have the same inscription: "The tea is ripe, the chrysanthemums are blooming, and the people who appreciate the autumn will come?" This one is accompanied by an additional inscription, emphasizing the subtlety of Yang Pengnian's pot making, and the fact that he has made pots himself. The habit is especially rare.​
              • Manson eighteen
                Stone scoop, Hu Ming: not fat but firm, it is eternal year. Lifting the beam, the inscription on the pot: boiled white stone, green clouds, a scoop of fine drinking invites Tongjun. Li Yin, the inscription on the pot: Li Yin Huang, tea to quench thirst, two is one, I Buddha did not say. Gourd, Hu Ming: for Hui Shi, for Zhang Cang, take full belly, no lakes and rivers. Hehuan, the inscription of the pot: the head of the eight cakes is the luan and the phoenix, and the female is prosperous. Pao melon, the inscription on the pot: Drinking is auspicious, and Pao melon is unmatched. On the well rail, the inscription on the pot: The well is deep, the bottle is small, and there are a few people who drink in style. It is always considered good. Hanwa, Hu Ming: Put down the slaughtering knife or not, the heart lotus will open in an instant, and the three thousand worlds will open their eyes to see the Tathagata. Ji Zhi, the inscription on the pot: The bitterness is the purpose, and the body is straight. Ru Ding, Hu Ming: water tastes sweet, tea tastes bitter, health-preserving prescription, wins stalactite. Zhou Pan, Hu Ming: I love my tripod, strong food and strong drink. Pillar base, pot inscription: tea drum sound, spring smoke separated, plum rain, moistening foundation stone, cleaning fringe lapel, milk flower green. Shi Chuan, the inscription on the pot: Chuan's system, the work of fighting, self-made, not Zhou Huang. Mirror tile, pot inscription: Clean my wine spleen, moisten my poetry intestines. Dian He, Hu Ming: Dian He Ding Ning, changed the note to the Classic of Tea. Half a scoop, the inscription on the pot: The teapot made by the Duke of Man, the 4614th for the Qingquan play. Hedou, Hu Ming: Beidou is high, Nandou is down, the Milky Way is shed, and the Langan is hanging. But Yue, Hu Ming: If the moon is profitable, it will be lost. Put it in the corner, and take me as the rule.
        • During the Qianlong period, enamel-colored purple sand pots appeared. Because of Emperor Qianlong's unique aesthetics, enamel-colored purple-sand pots entered the palace, but enamel-colored purple-sand pots have not been the mainstream. The glazing of enamel is contrary to the concept of purple sand, and it is still a small class creation.
      • mid-Qing Dynasty
        • During the Taiping Rebellion, the Yixing purple sand industry was severely damaged, and it was not until the Tongzhi period that it slowly recovered.
      • Late Qing Dynasty
        • At the end of the Qing Dynasty, Zisha seemed to be in decline. There were not many masters, and it was far less than that of the Kangqian period. The representatives were Huang Yulin and Cheng Shouzhen.
          • Huang Yulin
            (1842-1914), another important pot maker after Shao Daheng. It is said that he "every time a pot is made, it must be carefully selected, and it will be made by the sun and the moon.
          • Cheng Shouzhen
            (1857-1939), alias Taoist Bingxin, from Shangyuan Village, Yixing, was the adopted son of the famous artist Shao Youting. Cheng Shouzhen was diligent and prolific throughout his life, and he continued to make purple clay teapots when he was over seventy years old. Cheng Shouzhen only made three types of pots in his middle and later years, namely, the ball, the imitation drum, and the Hanbian. Cheng Shouzhen was good at imitating Shao Daheng's ball pot, and won the first prize and excellence award at the Panama World Exposition in 1915 and the Chicago Exposition in 1932. The teapot made since then has the inscription "Eighty-two old people made this tea pot, and won the prize at the Panama and domestic goods exhibition", stamped with the seal script "Shouzhen", and the small regular script with "Zhenji". print. Shouzhen's ball is his representative work.​
    • Republic of China purple sand
      • The turning point of the purple sand industry
        The era of the Republic of China was a turning point for Zisha, and there were many masters, of which corporate operation was its main feature, and a large number of Zisha artists were directly trained.
        • Utilize the pottery industry
          In the fourth year of the Republic of China (1915), a pottery company was used to establish a joint venture between Yixing celebrity Zhou Wenbo (Zhou Peiyuan's father) and Yixing Shushan Shao Huiru, and hired Cheng Shouzhen, Fan Dasheng, Pei Shimin, etc. as technicians. That year, at the Panama International Games held in San Francisco, USA , the company's Cheng Shouzhen teapot won the first prize.
        • Jiangsu Ceramics Factory
          In 1917, Jiangsu provincial councilor Bo Baokun (from Shushan West Street) proposed to the Jiangsu provincial government to set up a pottery factory in Shushan. The provincial government allocated 108,000 yuan to set up the "Jiangsu Province Ceramics Factory". This is the first state-owned pottery factory. Pan Baoxi is the director of the factory, Xu Jinsen, Wang Yuwen, Shao Huiru are divided into general affairs, kiln affairs, and field affairs. Famous artists Cheng Shouzhen, Yu Guoliang, and Fan Fukui are the technicians. Goods teapots.
        • Tiehuaxuan Pottery Company
          The store name of Tiehuaxuan is a company established in Shanghai in the second year of the Republic of China (1913) to operate Yixing pottery. The founder, Dai Guobao, was a famous porcelain maker. The purple sand ware produced by Tiehuaxuan is custom-made blanks in Yixing Shushan and Qianluo areas, and famous craftsmen are invited to engrave. Long-term suppliers of blanks for Tiehuaxuan include: Chen Guangming, Wu Yungen, Wang Yinchun and others, and famous pottery engravers such as Shao Yunru. His son Dai Xiangming inherited the industry and had deep relationships with purple sand celebrities such as Gu Jingzhou.​
    • One factory purple sand
      The so-called Zisha No. 1 Factory is Yixing Zisha Craft Factory. It was established and operated on the basis of a cooperative and has created many epoch-making things in the history of Zisha. The practice of grouting pot and the practice of gypsum abrasive pot have been developed.
      • Purple sand seven old
        • Ren Ganting
          (1888.8-1969.12) Also known as Gan Ting, styled Foushuo, numbered Soseki, Shixi, Deaf, Da Deaf, Zuomin, Zuo wrist Taoist. Jiangsu Yixing people, pottery carving everyone. The third oldest in the family, the eldest brother Gan Kun is good at carving paper, the second brother unfortunately died young, and the fourth brother Gan Ru is a professional flower and bird figure.
        • Wu Yungen
          Wu Yungen (1892-1969), also known as Wu Zhilai. Born in Yixing Heqiao in 1892, at the age of 14, he took Wang Shengyi (Wang Shengyi) as his teacher. In 1915, he worked as a technician in the Pingding County Pingding County Pottery Factory, Shanxi Province. In 1929, he was employed as a technician in the Ceramics Department of Nanjing Central University. In 1931, he was employed as a technician in the Kiln Industry Department of Jiangsu Provincial Ceramic Vocational School. In November 1955, he began to recruit the first batch of students for the Zisha factory to teach Zisha production skills. In 1956, he was appointed as Zisha "Technical Instructor" by the Jiangsu Provincial People's Government, becoming one of the famous "Seven Famous Zisha Artists". For today's Zisha art circle, he has cultivated extremely influential Zisha art masters and famous artists such as Gao Haigeng, Wang Yinxian, Lv Yaochen, Ge Mingxian, He Tingchu, and Fan Hongquan.
        • Pei Shimin
          (1892-1976), formerly known as Pei Yunqing, also known as Pei Deming. Yixing Shushan people. Famous purple sand artist. In his early years, he studied art, and after he became an art, he was good at making antique purple sand ware, which was quite famous. He is good at making water bowls, cups and plates, furnaces and tripods, with elegant and unique shapes, and has the characteristics of solid and steady bronzes, especially imitation fruits are the best. It has the reputation of "Chen Mingyuan Second". The high-quality works during the mature period are mainly small and medium-sized pieces, and ancient utensils are used for reference. With extraordinary ideas, they can be put and collected, simple and complex, and they can be used as both elegant and refined light plain teapots. The tea set, with its elegant style and exquisite and rigorous skills, is unique in the Zisha Art Garden.
        • Wang Yinchun
          (1897-1977) was born in a poor family in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu. His father, Wang Jinbao (also known as Jin Da), was originally a small baker in Zhenjiang. At the age of 13, he worshipped Zhao Zuoting as his master, and followed Jin A Shou as a teacher in his pottery workshop, learning purple sand pottery art. After 3 years of training, he came to help kiln households as a blank-making guest teacher. Since 1921, he was famous in Shanghai for his excellent billet-making skills. The famous modern masters of purple clay pots have superb skills and high efficiency in making pots, and the number of works is quite large. Guanghuo and Huahuo are Wang Yinchun's specialty pots. Wang Yinchun's works are highly sought after, and the collection value is also very high. People call the purple clay pots made by Wang Yinchun "Yinchun pots", and the words "Yinchun" are engraved on the pots.
        • Zhu Kexin
          (1904-1986), President of Jiangsu Branch of Chinese Artists Association, and one of the founders of Yixing Zisha Craft Factory. He has successively taught dozens of apprentices, including Wang Yinxian, Ni Shunsheng, Li Bifang, Pan Chunfang, etc. For his best-selling masterpieces such as "Reporting Spring Pot", "Three Friends Pot" and "Colorful Butterfly Pot", they have been selling well so far.
        • Gu Jingzhou
          (1915-1996) Master of Chinese arts and crafts. Formerly known as Jingzhou, he was born into a Zisha family. In the 1930s, he went to Shanghai to imitate the masterpieces of the past dynasties, and copied the works of Shi Dabin, Chen Mingyuan and Shao Daheng. Formed a vigorous and rigorous, smooth and regular, simple and elegant, refined and beautiful artistic style, known as the master of pot art, a generation of masters. He edited and published the book Yixing Purple Sand Appreciation, and cultivated many Chinese ceramic masters including Zhou Guizhen, Li Changhong, Zhang Honghua, Pan Chiping and others. In the 1940s, there was a reputation that "the inch pot is as expensive as a bucket of rice". In 2009, Gu Jingzhou's "Eleven-headed Beam-lifting Pot" sold for 3.13 million; in May 2010, Gu Jingzhou's Wu Hufan made calligraphy and painting "Xianming Stone Ladle Pot" sold for 12.32 million; in June 2010, "Dwarf Monk's Hat Pot" sold for 12.32 million 3.13 million; in August 2010, Gu Jingzhou's pair of purple sand cups even fetched a high price of 200,000.
        • Jiang Rong
          (1919-February 19, 2008), alias Lin Feng, was a native of Qianluo, Chuanbu, Yixing City, Jiangsu Province. In 1995, he was awarded the title of "Master of Chinese Arts and Crafts". Jiang Rong's work was awarded the "Grand Prize" at the National Industry Conference, and she made gifts for Premier Zhou Enlai to visit Southeast Asia and other countries. In 1956, the Jiangsu Provincial People's Government appointed her as a "technical tutor" for purple sand craftsmanship, which was the highest honor and treatment in the craftsmanship at that time. Jiang Rong's works are highly skilled, vivid and authentic in the history of Chinese purple sand craftsmanship, and she has become the first female craftsman in the history of Chinese purple sand craftsmanship. Honorary director of the Fine Arts Association.
      • Master Gu Jingzhou
        • Recommended Books
        • Tang Yun's guiding role to Mr. Gu Jingzhou.
        • Tang Yun, Dai Xiangming, Jiang Hanting, Wu Hufan, and five Jingzhou stone scoops established the status of Jianghu. Since then, no one has surpassed Zisha.
    • contemporary purple sand
      • A hundred schools of thought contend and a hundred flowers are blooming in contemporary Zisha, which is more inclined to the market.
      • In terms of creation, contemporary Zisha prefers the direction of industrialization and general consumer goods. For example, a large number of mixing experiments and a large number of trying new pots have also objectively promoted the development of the purple sand market.
  • 2) Why use Zisha?
    • Porcelain and glass cups drink tea with the steam of cooked soup, which affects the taste of tea. Porcelain cups make tea, and tea is easy to age.
    • The double pores of Zisha are breathable, which makes Zisha the most suitable for drinking tea and retains the tea fragrance to the greatest extent. The reason why it does not go sour overnight is precisely the role of breathability.
      • The principle of double air ventilation
        During firing, the carbonate radicals in the mud are first decomposed, releasing carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide gas to form bubbles. In the soil, some air bubbles are connected and some are closed, which will form a fine "chain-like pore group", which will be connected in series and lead to opening; the air bubbles will be blocked in the aggregate of quartz and silicate particles. Between the particles, the originally existing voids are disconnected from each other, preventing and leading to closure. The coexistence of open airways and closed airways is called "interstitial bubble structure", commonly known as "double stomata". Observe the section of the fired Zisha pot under a microscope: the open pores between the solid bodies are large, and the gas can enter and exit; the closed pores in the solid body have small gaps, and the water body is blocked by this. Non-purple clay, without quartz particles and silicate agglomerates. When not sintered, they are all open pores, which will seep water and spit black; after sintering, the porcelain is completely lost without pores, and the sound is very brittle when tapped. Double air holes can ensure breathability and relative thermal insulation.
    • Purple sand contains minerals
      • The role of quartz and mica
        The sand in purple sand refers to quartz. The size of the quartz particles determines the graininess on the surface of the Zisha pot. Because of the high density of quartz, it is not easy to shrink. Therefore, pot artists often choose and control the graininess of the Zisha pot through the size of the Zisha mud particles. The content of quartz mica determines the permeability, because the principle of double pore permeability is determined by quartz, and quartz mica also has an adsorption effect to improve water quality. Quartz mica has the effect of absorbing light, which affects the slurry effect.​​
      • Purple sand contains other minerals
      • The role of iron
        Zisha is rich in natural iron that is beneficial to health, and is resistant to acid, alkali and high temperature. Long-term use of Zisha pot can avoid ingesting too much aluminum ions and other harmful metals that affect human health. The natural iron contained in purple sand can dissolve fat, so the cooked rice is particularly smooth and delicious, and the meat soup has less fat, which is suitable for people who lose weight. Scientific experiments have proved that after the purified water is boiled with purple sand cookware, it will be mineralized into weak alkaline with a pH value of about 7.1, which is conducive to the formation of a weak alkaline healthy constitution of the human body.
    • The pottery essence of purple sand
      • clay
        The essence of purple sand is pottery, which is composed of kaolin, quartz, mica, iron and other minerals.
      • The special features of purple sand clay
        • Diverse colors
          Purple sand has a variety of colors, such as red, yellow, purple, black, green, gray, etc., with a wide range of choices and strong creativity.
        • It can be formed separately, and the physique is relatively hard
          Zisha mud can be used directly to make pots without adding other substances. Compared with other mud materials, the viscosity is not enough, the plasticity is not high, and other substances must be added to form. From this point of view, purple sand mud is really rare, and it is the healthiest, most natural, and safest mud.
        • No need for glazing after molding
          Unlike porcelain, purple sand must be glazed. Purple sand does not need to be glazed and has its own luster, and the more you brew tea, the more glossy you can develop, making it fun to keep a pot.
      • Plasticity of Zisha Clay
        Zisha mud has strong plasticity, can be processed into different shapes at will, and has strong adhesion, but it does not stick to hands or tools.
  • 3) Classification of purple sand
    • 1. According to the classification of mud
      • purple mud
        • clear cement
          There are two concepts of clear cement, one is a kind of purple mud, which is dry and dry, and common mud such as red water. One is the concept of one factory, which refers to the unmodified mud that can be directly used as a product.
        • old purple mud
          Purple mud is the most common mud material of purple sand, and it is also the earliest mud material with the highest utilization rate and the largest storage capacity in Yixing. From the perspective of tea suitability, purple mud is the best.
        • middle tank cleaning
          Zhongcaoqing (also known as Zhongcaoqing, Zhongcaoqing), produced in Huanglong Mountain, Yixing, Jiangsu Province, is a relatively pure variety of purple mud. Because it is usually located in the middle of the purple mud layer when mining, it is called Zhongcaoqing. The main body of the ore is purple-brown in color and contains a lot of white mica fragments. The raw ore material is only precipitated by adding water, sieving and grinding, and the mud material is purple-brown-red. After firing, it is red liver-colored, and white mica particles can be seen in the cross section.
        • Bottom slot cleaning
          Bottom trough blue is also called bottom trough clear or bottom trough blue. Bottom soap green is the name of a kind of ore material of purple sand mud, which is purple mud ore with light turquoise corn-like plaques in it. The corns are distributed in pairs and are very dense and even. The color is purplish and blue, thin and pure, and very rare. The fired pot has the color of red pig liver, and the firing color depends on the composition of the minerals and the firing temperature.
      • Duan mud
        • Duan mud, also known as group mud, is a symbiotic mineral soil of Benshan green mud and purple mud. Benshan green mud and purple mud are both raw ore of purple sand. The green mud of this mountain is different from the green mud of the Republic of China.
        • downhill mud
          In the early 1990s, the Yixing government accidentally discovered when the "Taodu Road" from Dingshan to Yixing was opened. Taodu Road must pass through the hillside where Huanglong Mountain and Qinglong Mountain meet. Digging the slope, unintentionally excavated part of the original purple sand ore, and later named it "slope mud". The discovery of "slope mud" was purely accidental, and the stock was extremely rare. There is a small amount of mineral resources in this small area
      • red mud
        • little red mud
          There is a kind of mineral material called tender mud in Yixing clay, which is red mud ore. The small red mud is a tender mud without other ingredients. Because it contains a large amount of iron oxide, the color will become vermilion after firing. The mud is fine, the sand is fine, the density is high, and the crystallization is high.
        • vermillion
          Vermilion mud is a kind of mud in the purple sand red mud, and it is named because the main ingredient is red mud (high iron content). Crimson mud is the best of red mud. Generally speaking, there are three kinds of vermilion: 1. The red is slightly yellow; 2. The yellow is slightly red; 3. The red is slightly purple (high-temperature vermilion).
        • Zhuni Dahongpao
          Dahongpao has no raw ore in essence. 1. The so-called Dahongpao mud is actually red mud with stone yellow added. Due to the addition of stone yellow, it greatly increases its plasticity and ductility, and the mud piece is not easy to break when it is bent. Its texture and moisturizing will be enhanced. 2. During production, an appropriate amount of natural iron red powder will be added to the interlayer tender mud with high iron oxide content. After molding, it will be fired in a kiln. The pot body is fine in mud, small in sand, high in density, high in crystallization and bright red in color. Bright red and warm after soaking.​
    • 2. According to the process classification
      • All handmade
        The body of the pot is hand-made, the body of the pot is beaten, and the handle of the pot is hand-made, which is called full handwork.
      • semi-manual
        The craft of making pot body, pot flow and pot handle with the help of mold is called semi-manual.
      • turner
        The body of the pot is made by rolling with a machine, which is called a roller pot or a lathe pot.
      • grout pot
        Grouting is to use the water absorption of gypsum to heat the mud containing paraffin and inject it into the gypsum mold. After cooling, the gypsum mold is released to obtain the pot blank, which is fired after inserting the mouth, dewaxing and dewaxing. However, because the purple sand particles required for grouting are at least about 200 mesh, the purple sand teapot loses its due air permeability. The grouting process is especially suitable for mass production and the cost is low. One person can fill 300-500 grouting pots a day. Therefore, it is easier to meet the requirements of the low-end tea art market.
      • pull germ pot
        Mechanical operation, a motor below, a disc above. Put the mud on the disc, turn the switch on, the motor rotates, and use the inertial centrifugal force to pull out a pot shape by hand. After pulling it out, cut it off, put it to dry, and then match it with the spout and handle (all made of grouting), put it into a teapot, put it to dry and then spray it. After firing, it can become a hand-pulled teapot. It does not belong to the purple sand molding process.
    • 3. According to market classification
      • consumer grade
        The purple clay pots purchased in the ordinary market are generally consumer grade. Generally speaking, the production of this kind of purple clay teapot is not a high-quality product, and the author is not well-known, but the price is relatively cheap. On the premise of ensuring the materials used, it is a good choice for getting started with purple sand.
      • Collection grade
        Zisha pots have certain artistry, and the author has a high reputation. This type of pot is suitable for collection and has a certain value-added space.
      • master class
        Purple clay pots made by masters of purple clay usually have investment value. With the development of the market, the appreciation space is relatively large, and the value is relatively preserved.
    • 4, according to the structure classification
      • bare goods
        Guanghuo refers to a purple clay pot with a geometric body and a smooth surface. When making this kind of purple clay pot blank, the surface of the pot should be decorated to be extremely flat and smooth, which determines the characteristics of the Guanghuo purple clay pot. The shape of the light goods pays attention to the changes of the façade lines and plane shapes of the utensils, as well as the proportional relationship between the various parts of the body, or supplemented by some simple line decoration. Its shape can be divided into two types: round and square. The shape of the round utensils should be "round, stable, even and positive", and "softness is combined with rigidity". There should be changes in the circle of the pearl and the jade, and it should be well-proportioned. The traditional shapes of Zisha teapots, such as ball-shaped pots, antique pots and Han-flat pots, are the typical shapes of Zisha round teapots. Square utensils are mainly composed of straight lines of different lengths, such as square, hexagonal, octagonal, rectangular and so on. The shape of the square utensils pays attention to "square in the circle", requiring the lines and surfaces to be straight and straight, and the outlines to be clear. No matter how square the shape is, the lid of the purple clay pot must be designed in a unified way, and the lid must be turned freely, and the lid must be stitched together. The traditional shapes of Zisha are square bridge-top pots, furnace pots, monk hat pots, Xuehua pots, etc., which are the typical shapes of Zisha square teapots.​
        • Light goods are generally divided into circular and square
      • flowers
        The teapots that decorate the natural forms of the natural world, animal and plant worlds with embossing, semi-relief and other shapes into a bionic image are called "flower goods". Huahuo is an artistic means of refining and choosing to express the aesthetically valuable parts of the natural form, and comply with the practical principles of fair function, visual beauty and safe use; Shaped parts, such as the spout of the teapot, the handle and the sub. For example, the "Gal Pot for Spring Trees" is said to be the earliest flower goods recorded in the literature, which is said to be the gall knot on the trunk of the ancient ginkgo tree. Another example is the "print-wrapped pot" that is said to be made by Dabin in the Ming Dynasty. The top, the mouth handle is square and rounded, with a pleasant rhythm. Chen Mingyuan's "Pumpkin Pot" uses the melon as the main body of the pot, the melon handle as the lid, the melon leaf rolled into the mouth, the melon as the pot handle, and the leaf veins and rattan patterns are vividly depicted. The production is meticulous, and both the refined and the popular are appreciated. Traditional fish-shaped dragon pots, lotus-shaped pots, pine, bamboo and plum pots are all representative varieties of flowers and goods.​
      • muscle capsule
        All purple clay pots that are regularly shaped with curved surfaces can be classified as tendons. In essence, they are flower goods with embossed and semicircular carving decorations, also known as ribbed wares, which are mostly shaped by abstraction, variation and folded edges of natural flowers and fruits. Such as Juju, sunflower, walnut, Linghua and other pots.
  • 4) The combination of purple sand and tea
    1. Mud material: Benshan green mud oolong tea raw tea (light roasting series) is particularly good, Tieguanyin (medium roasting or heavy roasting series), various series of Pu'er tea, black tea, green tea, etc. 2. Mud material: bottom trough Green [brewing suggestion] various series of Pu'er tea, raw oolong tea (light roasting series), Longjing, scented tea, Biluochun, black tea, green tea, etc. Light roasting fire series) special good, various series of Pu'er tea, etc. 4. Mud material: Zhu Ni [brewing suggestion] Tieguanyin, Taiwan high mountain tea, Pu'er raw tea, Oolong tea raw tea (light roasting series), Longjing, etc. 5. Mud material: clear cement [recommended to brew] various series of Pu'er tea, raw oolong tea (light roasted fire series), Tieguanyin, scented tea, black tea, green tea, Longjing, Biluochun. 6. Mud material: red skin dragon [brewing suggestion] Tieguanyin, Taiwan high mountain tea, Pu'er tea, oolong tea raw tea (light roasting series), Longjing, green tea, black tea, etc. 7. Mud material: black material [brewing suggestion] Oolong tea raw tea (light roasting series) is particularly good, Tieguanyin (medium roasting or heavy roasting series), various series of Pu'er tea, green tea, etc. 8. Mud material: descending slope mud [brewing suggestion] suitable for brewing: oolong tea (light roasting series) special good, Tieguanyin (medium roasting or heavy roasting series) special good, all kinds of Pu'er tea special it is good.
    • Brown and pot color
      Tea color matching the color of the pot is also a scheme. The color of the pot body is matched with the color of the tea, which is an aesthetic unity.
    • Tea shape and pot shape
      The pot shape is divided into size and height, and the tea leaves are divided into thick and thin, and the pot shape and tea shape can also be matched. Thin buds are suitable for short and wide-mouthed small pots, oolong tea is suitable for small-mouthed small pots, Pu'er brick tea is suitable for tall and large pots, black tea only and tall and spacious purple sand.
  • V) Status of purple sand deposits
    1. Well No. 1 is located in the southwest of the main central pond. It was reconstructed and expanded by Hongqidang in 1958 and is a single wellbore design. Mining stopped in 1965, and the abandoned dangkou was destroyed by open-pit mining at the end of 2002. 2. The No. 2 well is located in the south and east of the main pond. In 1965, according to the national design requirements for small mines, the early dangkou about 30 meters east of the No. 1 mine was redesigned and reconstructed, and the original single-headed well was changed as the main and auxiliary well. wellbore. Mining ceased in the early 1980s, and the mine was destroyed during open-pit mining in Taixi Village. The No. 2 well is rich in purple sand minerals, including purple mud (part of the bottom trough green), Benshan green mud, Benshan section mud, kenaf, and Heiduntou mines, of which the bottom trough green is red and purple. 3. Well No. 3 is located in the east of the main pond and northeast of Well No. 2. It was rebuilt from the early dangkou in the mid-1960s and is a single wellbore design. Mining was completed in the mid-1970s, and the wellhead is now submerged in the ground. 4. Well No. 4 The famous well No. 4 is the only mine that is not in the main part of Huanglong Mountain. In 1972, No. 4 mine was newly built on the west side of Huanglong Mountain. The elevation of the main well is 24 meters, and the elevation of the auxiliary well is 11 meters. The wells are about 200 meters apart. There are the most famous No. 4 well bottom groove green, No. 4 well Benshan green mud and so on! Dangkou of Well No. 4 is next to Zishazhiyuan Park, and only Taodu Road is separated from Baoshan mining area. When the Zishazhiyuan Park and this section of Taodu Road were built, the descending mud was introduced. It produces high-quality bottom trough green and Benshan green mud. In October 1997, the No. 4 mine stopped mining due to many factors such as high production costs. 5. Shaft No. 5 is located in the east of the main pond. In August 1979, according to the design requirements of Shaft No. 4, Shaft No. 5 was built on the north side of the east side of Huanglong Mountain. The main and auxiliary shafts of the mine are arranged in parallel. Since the No. 5 mine itself is within the scope of Taixi Village, the mining of the No. 5 mine was in a state of confusion with the dangkou of several contractors in Taixi Village at that time. By 1993, the No. 5 mine could not be mined normally for a variety of reasons. At the end of November of the same year, the No. 5 mine was transferred to Taixi Village, and the mining continued under the management of Taixi Village. Until 1999, due to factors such as a large amount of groundwater infiltration, it was closed and stopped mining. 6. The Nanshan mining area crosses the south slope of the main pond and enters the Nanshan mining area. The Nanshan purple mud in Nanshan District is very characteristic. 7. Downhill mining area is located between No. 4 well and Huanglong Mountain, and is now Zishazhiyuan Park and Taodu Road. During the basic construction in 2005, a unique mass of mud was dug up here, and there were a lot of them. The burnt red was yellow with obvious yellow particles. Because it was a newly discovered variety, it was called downhill mud. 8. The Banpo mining area and the Yeshan mining area are located in the west of the main reservoir of Huanglong Mountain (the south is the Yeshan mining area), and there are many kinds of lump mud. To the south of Banpo is the Yeshan Mining Area. The Yeshan Mining Area used to produce only one kind of mud, but it is very famous and unique. This is the Yeshan Red Skin Dragon. 9. Baoshan mining area Baoshan mining area is called by some Dingshan people today as Longtou (Dashuitan is called Longwei), and named after Baoshan Industrial Park (actually Baoshan Villa Area). The Baoshan mining area has a relatively long history of producing purple sand ore, and there are still Gudangkou today. The purple sand minerals are mainly lump mud, of which red and yellow mud is the most famous. 10. The Dashuitan mining area belongs to Lishu and is located at the foot of the mountain in the south of Huanglong Mountain. It is a dangkou rich in high-quality purple sand ore in history, and Tianqing mud is produced here. The original Huanglongshan Dashuitan mining area was later submerged due to the digging of groundwater veins, forming a waterhole. There are still some dark dungeons left by early mining around the big water pool. The mountains in the south of Yixing belong to the Tianmu Mountains, and there are three main mountain ranges in Yixing, namely Tongguan Mountains, Longchi Mountains and Taihua Mountains. The clay resources are mainly distributed in these mountainous areas, and there are a large number of purple sand ore sources in the surrounding towns of Dingshu Town, such as Huo, Huodong, and Chuanbu. The purple sand mud in Huanglong Mountain, Yixing, is the best. From the closure of mines to restricted mining, it can no longer meet the needs of the market. In this case, the mud in these areas is exploited in large quantities.
  • 6) The reason why the color of purple sand changes
    • The color diversity of purple sand ore
      The mineral content of each ore of purple sand is different, so the color diversity of purple sand ore is created.
    • Addition of chemical raw materials
      Now some businessmen add chemical raw materials to purple sand mud in order to achieve a good color, which should not be encouraged.
  • 7) The current situation of purple sand market
    • Industry market
      At present, there are about 10,000 people making teapots from purple sand, and the related practitioners are estimated to be tens of thousands, which is a relatively large industry. This also caused the uneven market of purple sand, and the phenomenon of symbiosis of fish and pearls.
    • consumer market
      • Diversity of sales channels
        • traditional store
        • online shop, e-commerce
        • Live delivery
      • Making pot masters manages diversity
        • The prevalence of foundry
        • Proxy operation market phenomenon
      • Diversity of mud
        • Wide range of chemicals
        • Experiments with retro clay
        • Hot selling of red clay pots
  • Appendix) Purple Clay Teacher Inheritance
    • Shi Dabin
      • Li Zhongfang, Xu Youquan, Ou Zhengchun, Shao Wenjin, Shao Wenyin, Chen Guangfu, Chen Junqing
    • Purple sand seven old
      • Zhu Kexin's apprentices:
        • Pan Chunfang, Bao Xinyuan, Shi Zhipeng, Li Qinxian, Li Bifang, Ni Shunsheng, Cao Wanfen, Wu Qingan, Wang Yinxian, Fan Hongquan, Xie Manlun.
      • Gu Jingzhou accepted his disciples:
        • Li Changhong, Gao Haigeng, Shen Juhua, Shan Shufang, Bao Xiuyun, Shen Quhua, Zhou Guizhen.
      • Wu Yungen accepts apprentices:
        • Gao Yongjin, Shi Jihua, Xu Xuan, Zhu Fengying, Shi Yuqin, He Tingchu, Xu Ciyuan, Fan Hongquan, Wang Yuexian, Xie Lexian, Wu Xinnan, Lv Yaochen.
      • Wang Yinchun accepts apprentices:
        • Xu Chengquan, Wang Xiaolong, Li Tianxing, Li Yuanru, Gao Hongying, Chen Xiaogeng, Ge Yuebin, Jiang Hongda, Ji Debao, Bao Saifen, Fang Lipin, He Daohong.
      • Ren Ganting accepts apprentices:
        • Xu Xiutang, Xian Zhongying, Feng Xiya, Shao Xinhe, Wang Pinrong, Zhang Hetang, Zhu Rongjuan.
    • Partial list of contemporary Zisha artists
      • Lv Yaochen Xu Hantang Tan Quanhai Li Changhong Bao Zhiqiang Zhou Guizhen Gu Shaopei Chen Guoliang Xu Yanchun He Tingchu Sang Li Bing Bao Zhongmei Xie Manlun Xu Anbi Qiu Yulin Li Shoucai Wu Zhen Mao Guoqiang Shen Hansheng Fan Hongquan Ji Yishun Tang Minggao Yang Qinfang Chu Jiquan Pan Chiping Zhang Honghua Wang Shi Geng Shen Yunhua Zhu Jianwei Cao Wanfen Xia Junwei Cheng Hui Zhou Dignan Xian Zhongying Gao Jianfang Cao Yalin Ling Xi Gou Chuli, Wu Ming, Liu Jianping, Chen Jianping, Wei Ming, He Daohong, Sun Bochun, Wu Xiaomei, Xu Xiutang, Zhang Zhenzhong (Zhang Zhengzhong), Tang Liuqin, Li Wei, Pan Min, Huajian, Tang Boqin, Xu Daming, Li Ni, Ge Jun, Fan Jianhua, Bao Zhenglan, Feng Qunxing, Ge Mingxian, Lv Junjie, Xu Nan, Jiang Xin'an, Jiang Jianxiang, Wu Peilin, Yin Xiangming, Ni Shunsheng, Shao Shunsheng, Hu Hongming, Sun Bachun Hu Yongcheng Jiang Yongjun Wang Guoxiang Paulian Wu Yake Lu Hongwei Gao Xiangjun Zhuang Yulin Shi Xiaoming Han Xiaohu Huaiqifang Xu Chengquan Shi Guofu Wu Qunxiang Gao Lijun Huang Ziying Zhang Qingcheng (Zhang Qingchen) Ding Hongshun Wang Xiaolong Fan Jianjun Wei Zhongyun Wang Tao Jiang Yan (Jiang Xiaoyan) Fan Yongliang Gu Daorong Gu Zhipei Wu Xiaomei Shi Xiaoma Shudansheng Wu Yayi Li Bin Shaoxin Talk to Lu Shuoliang, Ge Yuechun, Zhang Ruiduan, Li Qun, Fan Weiqun, He Liuyi, Qian Juping, and Yuewei
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