The Beauty of Harmony
Harmony with all teas. Tea lovers know that green tea should be drunk from a glass cup and Oolong Tea from a lidded bowl, but the purple clay pot can be used for both green tea and the currently fashionable Pu'er tea. Since people's Tea drinking habits changed in the Ming dynasty, the purple clay pot has become the best vessel for drinking tea. At that time, there was only green tea. It wasn't until the mid-Qing dynasty when fermentation techniques were developed and the variety of teas increased that people discovered that the purple clay pot is suitable for all types of tea and can brew the best results. Porcelain is ranked first among tea utensils, whether it is the noble Pu'er or Dragon Well, or even the Jasmine tea of country folk, when placed in a purple clay pot, it will emit the purest aroma and flow out the truest color.
Harmony with all things under heaven. Fruits, pears, peaches, human figures, and creatures leap out of the hands of the pot maker, naturally bringing different emotions and wishes to the pot. There is a pot named Wave Spike, said to have been the weapon used by Jing Ke when he attempted to assassinate the King of Qin. But people hope for peace, wishing to turn swords into plowshares and transform sharp weapons into tea water. This pot expresses the pot maker's aspiration for peace. Mr. Li Changhong once made a pair of pots called Noble Elegance. The tall and short pots symbolize a husband and wife, engraved with the story of presenting a case with raised eyebrows, wishing for harmony in the world. A pot can convey feelings and express intentions; the purple clay harmonizes with all things and myriad sentiments on the pot, inspiring contemplation of thousands of years for those who admire it.
The Beauty of Integration
Integration of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Calligraphy and painting papers are processed from trees and instantly turn to ash upon encountering fire. However, purple clay itself is earth, containing iron, becoming mud when it meets water and pottery when it encounters fire. The five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth integrate into one in the fierce flames, forging a transparent new life. This process of creation does not require any embellishment, unlike porcelain, which needs to be covered with a layer of colored glaze. The purple clay pot can be said to be consistent inside and out, simple and unadorned.
Integration of the square and the round, the hard and the soft. Not only does the purple clay pot have a distinction between square and round in its shape, but the body, handle, and spout can also have different combinations, with lines that are curved and straight, combining strength and suppleness. Even what appears to be a round cylinder may have a square cross-section, truly embodying the concept of square within the round and round within the square. Upon closer inspection of the pot's spirit, even if its character is strong like a warrior, there is still a softness in its flowing lines.
The Beauty of Utility
The beauty of the purple clay pot exists in its use. Pour boiling water into the pot, observe its lustrous jade-like color, listen to the gurgling of the spring water, and the fragrance of tea gently wafts over. The pot before your eyes is both real and illusory, dancing with dragons and phoenixes, yet within reach. Take it in hand to caress and play with it, and a sense of joy and intimacy arises in your heart, which can also relax your muscles, activate blood circulation, and strengthen your body. The purple clay pot becomes more radiant and beautiful in use, becoming more beautiful the more it is used – this is what people commonly refer to as “nourishing the pot.” The pot relies on use for nourishment, to cultivate a great and upright spirit.
The beauty of utility of the purple clay pot is not just about showing off temporary strength. The purple clay pot coexists with tea culture; as long as there is tea, it has a place, reminding you daily that you cannot go a day without tea, nor be an idle person.
The Beauty of Wonder
The special nature of purple clay is a wonder. It has a dual-pore structure, making it suitable for all types of tea, and tea left overnight will not sour. Moreover, purple clay has an adsorption property similar to that of a sponge. Pots often used for brewing tea will still have a tea fragrance even without placing tea leaves in them. Purple clay can form pottery independently, being the only clay in the world that doesn't need to be mixed with other minerals to form pottery. It has excellent adhesive properties and plasticity, capable of independent shaping, making it the most unique type of soil in the world. Pots made from this so-called “clay within clay, rock within rock” five-colored soil emerge from the kiln with a shape akin to smelted copper, their surfaces shining like mirrors, and they develop a jade-like luster the more they are used. This can only be described as wondrous.
The strong expressive power of the purple clay pot is another wonder. A peony pot made from purple clay resembles a blooming peony, while a mango pot looks like a freshly picked mango from a tree. Whether in terms of shape, color, or texture, they are incredibly lifelike. They appear the same from afar and up close. Animals and birds crafted from purple clay are vivid and lifelike, almost as if they could leap out at any moment. Furthermore, the shapes of purple clay pots are “not limited to one form for squares, not limited to one shape for circles”; master-level pots are always creations, each one unique, with endless variations and infinite transformations. Art values change, and the purple clay pot expresses the beauty of change to the utmost.
The Beauty of Concealment
In ancient times, people compared the value of purple clay to gold, stating that purple clay pots could rival the bronze vessels of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and even lamented: “Why seek pearls and jade when a handful of earth from Yangxian is enough?” Clearly, in the eyes of pot enthusiasts, although a purple clay pot is not gold, it shines just as brightly. A good purple clay pot, no matter where it ends up, will never be buried or forgotten. It rests and nourishes itself in the essence of the sun and moon, waiting for people to discover its true value. And once discovered, its noble demeanor ensures it won't lose its brilliance even placed in a palace. Though merely a handful of earth, it contains nobility within. The surface of the purple clay pot is free of glaze, not dazzling people with ostentation but concealing a warm luster within the clay. Only through constant use does it become increasingly beautiful. This restrained and profound attitude is also a source of inspiration for life.