1. Home
  2. Tea Connoisseur's Forum
  3. Yixing ware question

Yixing ware question

I recently purchased a Yixing pot and I'm quite happy with it. It appears to be well-made (some minor flaws here and there, but visible only under close inspection), the lid fits very well and flow stops when the spout is covered. The lid does not fall out when the pot is vertical. The body certainly SEEMS like it is made from a Yixing clay - it has shiny specks here and there. It is an unusual color, and I think this was a specific aim of the maker - it is a strange greenish-brown, very "old looking." It makes a mean pot of Tieguanyin.

However, it doesn't seem to have much of a "ring" to the body when I do the scrape-lid-around-rim-of-opening test. It just sounds like scraping clay on clay. What, if anything, does this say about the pot? Incorrect firing? .

Reply to
jfandor
Loading thread data ...

you'll want to take the lid, while holding the handle between your fingers and gently tap it against the teapot handle. that is the best way to produce the "ring".

Reply to
Dan S

The "ring" depends on the type of zi sha and the temperature it was fired. A zhu ni teapot won't have the same "ring" than a duan ni one.

Seb

jfandor wrote:

Reply to
SEb

jfandor8Jnle.39$ snipped-for-privacy@news.uswest.net5/26/05

13: snipped-for-privacy@drunkenbastards.com

To me, the key sentence in your report is, "It makes a mean pot of Tieguanyin." I'd say therefore it is a very good pot. Can we see pictures? I wouldn't worry overly about the ring stuff. There appear to be many opinions on that anyway.

Michael

Reply to
Michael Plant

My* digital camera isn't working right now, but I'll get some snaps ASAP.

I totally agree that "It makes a mean pot of Tieguanyin" is the key sentence. I doubt I'd care if it turned out to have been made in Detroit. :D But the "ring" test threw me a bit. I don't exactly have a seasoned ear for these things, but to me, a terra-cotta pot has a "ring" to it when stuck the right way. My coffee mug rings when I scrape my thumbnail on it. My teapot, though, scrapes or goes "thunk." I'll try the handle, but I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.

It's rather low and wide for an Yixing, and the capacity is a staggering (for me, at least) 16 oz - after several rounds of brewing I have a few quarts of tea. Yikes. Next pot will be a bit more "bladder friendly."

Anyway, thanks to you and everybody else who replied.

*the one I "borrow" regularly from the R&D. Hey, Magnum P.I. didn't own his camera, either. :D .
Reply to
jfandor

Some ring some don't but it says nothing about quality of the pot. The ringing comes from thinner walled pots ring sharper. It sounds as if your potter was skilled.

Reply to
Austin Hodge

Austin snipped-for-privacy@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com5/30/05

00: snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com

Austin,

I suspect it has more to do with vitrification and density, but experience brings me to agree with you on the fact that it says little about the quality of the pot. If I like it, and the tea likes it, it's a great pot.

Michael

Reply to
Michael Plant

For those who wants to know how to select a good ZiSha (Yixing) teapot, free feel to take a look at

formatting link

Reply to
S Lun

DrinksForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.