Everything can be polished, especially purple clay Teapots, but how you do it is key!
Thinking back to my early years as an apprentice, I made a Shiliang Teapot and left it on my master's tea table to “nourish.” I was very excited and wanted to nurture a teapot that was exclusively mine. Being young and impetuous, I was a little impatient and wished to achieve the same luster as my master's teapot immediately.
In the dead of winter, coming into the studio early in the morning, there was no better pleasure than brewing a pot of tea. After pouring out the tea, I would take a full sip and, while the teapot was still warm, quickly cup it in both hands and rub it vigorously, using it like a hot water bottle. It was a wonderful warming tool in the winter. At the time, I didn't care if my hands were clean or oily. If they were oily, all the better; rubbing the oil onto the teapot made it look particularly beautiful and shiny. I even rubbed my face against the teapot to accelerate the patina, spreading the oil all over its surface and continuously caressing it with my hands. It looked especially attractive and glossy, which I thought was the “patina.”
Now, looking back, it's rather embarrassing. When I started, not knowing any better, I easily ruined a teapot this way. The result was what is called “monk's shine,” a superficial luster that is unstable and easy to ruin, leaving patches of oil here and there that are difficult to correct.
Purple clay teapots should avoid contact with oil. When polishing them, your hands must be clean and not greasy. Taking advantage of the warmth of the teapot to polish it is greatly beneficial for the teapot, making it smoother over time. For ourselves, continuously polishing the teapot also massages the acupoints on our palms, which is good for blood circulation and has subtle but significant benefits.
So, how should one properly nourish a teapot?
I personally prefer the method of dousing the teapot with tea. While Drinking Tea, I prepare a tea towel and, as I Drink, pour excess tea over the teapot, giving it back to the teapot. When the teapot is hot, it will quickly absorb the tea. Paying close attention, you'll notice tea stains on the surface. At this point, rinse it with hot water and quickly wipe it clean with the tea towel. Do not leave the tea stains on the teapot. The tea towel is crucial for wiping the teapot and keeping it clean. Repeating this process daily when brewing tea will result in a quick formation of patina. (Pay special attention to the rim of the teapot lid and mouth, where tea stains tend to accumulate most easily. Clean them promptly, or over time, the stains will set in and become difficult to remove. You can use salt to clean them.)
Some people like to leave tea in the teapot overnight, thinking it helps to nourish the teapot. However, once the teapot cools down, cold tea is ineffective. Cold tea, even if left for a week, is useless. The teapot requires hot tea, and under the steam, the unique dual-pore structure of the purple clay allows the tea to seep through. Wiping it evenly with a tea towel facilitates the formation of patina.
Another method, requiring great patience, is internal nourishment. Brew tea normally, following the methods mentioned above, except for not pouring tea over the teapot. Instead, rely on the steam from the hot tea to slowly permeate the surface of the teapot, which is then wiped with a tea towel. This method is slower, but it is more reliable for teapots with lighter colors, making it easier to maintain without uneven coloring, such as those made from duanni or benlv clay.
For purple clay teapots, as long as you keep the teapot clean, you can polish it however you like. As long as it's genuine purple clay, eventually, you'll achieve the desired result.
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