Often, newcomers will ask, “Is this Duan clay Teapot a purple clay teapot?”
This may be because they have just started to learn about purple clay Teapots and do not understand the meaning of purple clay materials, assuming that Duan clay is not a type of purple clay. Purple clay materials are broadly divided into three categories: Purple Clay, Duan Clay, and Red Clay. The Purple Clay category can be further subdivided into: Bottom Groove Clear, Middle Groove Clear, Pure Purple Clay, Old Purple Clay, etc. Under the Duan Clay category, we can find: Original Mountain Duan, Original Mountain Green Clay, Golden Duan, Old Duan, Blue Duan, etc. The Red Clay category includes: Small Red Clay, Zhu (Imperial Red) Clay, Dahongpao (Big Red Robe), etc.
One might then ask: Is Purple Clay better than Duan Clay or Zhu (Imperial Red) Clay?
The quality of a Purple Clay Teapot does not have an absolute relationship with its clay material; it depends instead on its craftsmanship and the Beauty of its shape. If all the materials come from the original mine, there is no simple distinction between good and bad among Purple Clay, Duan Clay, and Zhu (Imperial Red) Clay. Instead, different clays are paired with different teapot shapes to produce varying effects. These three types of clay materials are all part of the purple clay materials and are at the same level. Each of these three types of clay has different properties and thus produces different effects.
If one were to make a comparison, it would only be valid within each category. For example, among Purple Clays, judgments could be made based on several points: different types of purple clay will have different prices, present different effects when fired, and vary in rarity. The same applies to Duan Clay and Zhu (Imperial Red) Clay.
The quality of a purple clay teapot primarily depends on the craftsmanship and the shape. Most of the materials on the market produce similar effects, but some shapes are more suitable for certain types of clay, making them look better. For instance, given the same high-quality clay, a pot crafted by a skilled artisan will undoubtedly be superior to one made by someone less skilled.
As long as the purple clay materials are derived from the original mine, they are all good materials. It's just that each type of clay presents different textures, sandiness, and effects when fired. When paired with different teapot shapes and crafted by a skilled artisan, such a teapot is considered a good one.
Image: ChaWo (Tea Nest) Network