When the lid of a pot breaks, enthusiasts often want to find a replacement, while potters are often reluctant to make one. This can lead to some frustration among collectors. However, understanding the characteristics of Yixing clay and the process of making Yixing Teapots can help enthusiasts comprehend the situation.
In the world of Yixing teapots, there is a saying: “It's easier to make three pots than to match one lid.” This is because the properties of Yixing clay vary, and factors such as clay mixing, firing temperature, and firing method can affect the final appearance of the pot, with different contraction rates after firing.
▲Dezhong pot in Ding Trough Qing, plain style
A Yixing Teapot undergoes two contractions from its raw state to being fired: drying contraction and firing contraction. The degree of contraction is directly related to the type of clay, the moisture content of the raw pot, the firing temperature, and the firing time. It is impossible to replicate the exact firing temperature and time, so even if the same type of clay is used to make identical pots, the size of each firing will vary slightly. ▲Dezhong pot in Ding Trough Qing, bamboo engraving style
Therefore, once the raw pot is made, the lid and body must be fired together. If they are fired separately, differences in contraction can cause them not to fit properly. It is very challenging to get the size just right.
The contraction of Zhu (red) clay is even more pronounced, making the cost and risk of matching a lid several times higher than making an entire pot. When attempting to match a lid, several must be made at once, ranging from two or three to seven or eight, with a low probability of finding one that fits well.
Even if a lid is made to the exact size and fits perfectly, the pot body, which has been steeped and aged, will have a significantly different color from the new lid. Matching the lid requires it to have a similar hue to the pot body.
Finally, recreating the original clay, style, and craftsmanship, while also capturing the shape, spirit, and aura of the work, is no easy feat. Only someone with exceptional experience and unparalleled skill can achieve this, considering the color and texture of the clay, the harmony of the form, the aura, and the firing contraction.
▲Dezhong pot in Ding Trough Qing, engraving of Bodhidharma
Let's take a look at the lid-matching process of Master Gu Jingzhou.
Shanghai-based painter and Yixing teapot collector Tang Yun had a Han Duo teapot from the late Qing Dynasty, marked with the “Ridian Shanguan” seal. During the Cultural Revolution, it was confiscated and later returned in the late 1970s without its lid.
Tang Yun sought help from his old friend Gu Jingzhou to match the lid. Gu Jingzhou readily agreed. He called in Zhao Jianghua (Gu's private doctor who often learned from him) and his last disciple Ge Taozhong. Gu Jingzhou personally prepared the clay. After preparing the clay, Zhao and Ge first pounded it, following a specific order and direction. Then they cut the clay, ensuring that no step was missed.
Gu Jingzhou then had Ge Taozhong make multiple test pieces, which were fired at high, medium, and low temperatures. This process was repeated many times to determine which temperature produced a color that matched the Han Duo teapot.
Gu Jingzhou then personally made the lid for the Han Duo teapot using the prepared clay, firing it at the temperature that produced a matching color. The resulting lid harmonized well with the teapot's body, rotating smoothly, a masterpiece of skill.
Gu Jingzhou also matched a lid for a Dezhong pot by Shao Daheng for Tang Guoxin, capturing the essence of Shao Daheng's work. It was a soulful encounter between Gu and Shao.
▲Lid matched by Gu Jingzhou
Inscribed inside the lid: “Summer of 1991, Matched Lid for Shao Daheng Teapot, Age 77”
It is evident that matching a lid for a Yixing teapot is far from simple. To create a lid that captures both the spirit and aesthetics of the original, only a master of exceptional skill can do so, like Gu Jingzhou, Wang Yinxian, and He Dao Hong. How many people with such remarkable skills exist in the world today?
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