There are many “obviously fake” imitations and traps in the purple Clay market. Many enthusiasts often ask us to authenticate various Teapots. Here are a few types of teapots that you may have come across. Be very careful.
Injection-molded teapots
Pure Purple Clay cannot be used to make injection-molded teapots, so during the process of making these, a lot of glass water is added to the clay. The clay is placed in a ball mill for 48 hours, turning it into a very fine slurry. The slurry is then poured into molds, left for 1-2 minutes, taken out, dried, and processed into teapots.
One person can produce 300-500 injection-molded teapots in a day. The glass water does not evaporate at high temperatures but seeps directly into the Purple Clay. Glass water contains water, alcohol, ethylene glycol, Corrosion inhibitors, and sometimes methanol, formaldehyde, and glycol. Methanol is highly toxic to the human nervous and Blood systems, causing toxic reactions when ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin. Methanol vapor can damage the respiratory mucosa and vision.
To deal with such fakes, first, do not be misled by low prices of a few dollars or tens of dollars, buying cheap teapots with strange shapes. Generally speaking, the more lines a Purple Clay teapot has, the more complex its craftsmanship might be. Handmade Purple Clay teapots are very intricate, so it's best to stay away from those with complex shapes and low prices on certain e-commerce platforms. Second, observe the texture of the clay; the clay used for injection-molded teapots is very fine and lacks granular components. If it looks very smooth without a sandy feel and feels slightly greasy when touched, there is a high likelihood that it is made of clay.
Overly shiny teapots
Everyone knows that one of the highlights of Purple Clay teapots is the glossy patina formed after being played with. However, one must be cautious as this refers to teapots that have been handled over time.
In tourist spots or on certain e-commerce platforms, one can often find inferior ceramic teapots coated with shoe polish or other pigments, giving the appearance of well-nourished clay. As a result, a Purple Clay teapot that might be worth only 20 dollars could be sold for hundreds or even thousands.
In today's market, many new teapots are shockingly bright, especially Zhu (red) clay teapots. The biggest flaw of such Purple Clay teapots is that the state of the clay inside and outside is completely inconsistent. A significant downside is that it severely affects the breathability of the Purple Clay teapot.
Dirt-covered old teapots
At many antique flea markets, we often see many dirt-covered old teapots. In general, they are almost never authentic.
Purple Clay teapots are elegant instruments for literati, and their handling is very particular. Even if an old teapot is genuine, poor preservation will severely impact its value. Those who frequently visit museums will notice that truly collectible (or made by famous artists) old teapots are rarely found in extremely dirty conditions.
I strongly advise against collecting so-called “old Purple Clay teapots.” Authenticating old Purple Clay teapots is considered a significant challenge in Chinese ceramic authentication. For example, the authoritative work “Chinese Ceramics” states, “The problem is that a large portion of the so-called master-made Purple Clay teapots passed down are imitations, and the authentication work is very difficult.” If even an authoritative academic publication considers this a difficult issue, how likely is it that someone you met through forums, local markets, or online groups has solved this mystery?
If you are interested in learning about the aging of Purple Clay teapots, here is a quote from Zhao Ruzhen's “Antiques Guide” from the Republican Era — “Newly made ones (referring to later imitations) are of poor quality, and their brightness comes from being polished with beeswax, which is never as bright and lustrous as the real thing. As for old teapots with newly engraved marks, they are always incised, and those with knowledge can easily recognize them.”