Shi Dabin (1573–1648), also known as Shi Dabing, with the style name Shaoshan, was from Wuyuan, Huizhou.
After finishing his private school education at the age of 13, Shi Dabin began making Yixing clay teapots. At that time, Gong Chun, a renowned master of Yixing ware, was already an octogenarian. In a certain year, month, and day, Gong Chun met Shi Dabin, recognizing his potential and took him under his wing to mentor him personally, eventually becoming his last disciple. After several years of apprenticeship, Shi Dabin inherited and mastered Gong Chun's method of pot-making by hand modeling. He conducted extensive research on clay mixture preparation, forming techniques, design, and engraving for Yixing ware. He developed his own method of making pots using the “body-building” technique of patting and shaping. He not only expanded the variety and ornamental forms of Yixing clay teapots but also established a highly sophisticated technical system still used by the Yixing industry today, involving clay slabs and inlaying. He carefully selected various shades of Yixing clay to create a style that is ancient and majestic. Shi Dabin was extremely serious about his work; whenever he was unsatisfied with a piece, he would destroy it without hesitation, even if it meant breaking eight or nine out of ten pieces, because during this period, Tea culture was flourishing, and connoisseurs had high standards for teapot craftsmanship.
In his essay “Record of Yixing Porcelain Teapots,” the Ming dynasty refugee Zhou Rong described Shi Dabin as “elegant, ancient, and solemn, just like his teapots, tranquil and composed, evoking admiration and respect.” Though brief, such an evaluation vividly portrays Shi Dabin's scholarly demeanor, transcending the typical image of a craftsman. The high praise bestowed upon Shi Dabin reflects the status and significance of Yixing teapots among literati and refined scholars in late Ming China.
The Yixing clay teapot is a traditional Chinese Tea-drinking utensil, said to have originated during the Song Dynasty and into the Ming Dynasty during the reign of Emperor Zhengde. The material used to make Yixing teapots comes from Yixing ore, consisting primarily of purple, green, and red clays, collectively known as Yixing clay. As it is produced in Jiangsu's Yixing, it is also called Yixing purple clay. Following the resurgence of tea-drinking customs among scholars in the southern region after the mid-Ming Dynasty, a cultural tradition emerged, combining teapot artistry with poetry, calligraphy, and seal carving, becoming a symbol of tea culture. Especially since the Ming and Qing dynasties, Yixing teapots have become symbolic of tea culture, imbued with Confucian philosophy, Taoist thought, and Buddhist culture. Thus, drinking tea often involves appreciating its cultural significance. Tea enthusiasts believe that brewing tea with a Yixing teapot enhances its aroma and flavor, due to the unique double-pore structure of the clay that absorbs the essence of the tea. As a result, the longer a teapot is used, the more fragrant and rich the brewed tea becomes. Because of the clay's ability to absorb flavors, there is a saying that “one teapot should serve only one type of tea.” Throughout history, literati and tea connoisseurs have appreciated Yixing teapots as “elegant pursuits,” and engaging with them has been considered “a refined gesture.” The Yixing teapot is often described as follows: “As warm and refined as a gentleman, as bold as a man, as graceful as a poet, as beautiful and virtuous as a lady, as reserved as a hermit, as free-spirited as a youth, as petite as a dwarf, as sincere and simple as a benevolent person, as ethereal as a fairy, as upright as a nobleman, and as unworldly as a monk.” Shi Dabin's exceptional skill in teapot making earned him widespread acclaim during the Ming Dynasty, as attested to in numerous literary records. Xu Chishu, a Ming dynasty tea connoisseur, praised him in “Tea Notes,” stating: “In the past, there were Gong Chun's tea pots, and recently those made by Shi Bin have been greatly treasured.” Wu Qian, a native of Xiuning, Huizhou, wrote in “Continuation of the Records of Famous Yixing Potters”: “Having witnessed two hundred years of change, their names are engraved for eternity. From now on, they will be placed in the Qingyi Pavilion, renewing their predestined connection with living fire and fresh spring water.” Upon receiving a “plum blossom style” teapot from Shi Dabin, Huizhou tea connoisseur Wang Shishen was overjoyed and spontaneously composed a poem: “The Yixing teapot, purple as clouds, is crafted entirely in the shape of plum blossoms. Over a century after emerging from the furnace, who could match the skill of Master Shi? I am grateful for your gift, knowing my lifelong taste for purity and simplicity. I love the purity of plum blossoms and the bitterness of tea, waiting for the right moment to store the spiritual buds. Perhaps someday, when sailing southward is convenient, you will join me in the mountains for a tea feast.”
From the essays, poems, and records of the Ming and Qing dynasties, we can see unanimous praise for Shi Dabin, providing us with a glimpse of his historical standing and inspiring our imagination regarding his character.
Huizhou Tea Connoisseur / Written by Zheng Yi
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