Various yixing experts have contrasting opinions about this teapot

[mhegara]

thanks a lot for your observations! why would you say it is mass produced? what are the signs? just so I know for personal knowledge...
anyway, at least now I know it is yixing clay and that I can use it without worrying too much. thank again for the help!!

You are welcome! We tend not to share very specific details on how we can tell, because there is some risk that makers of fakes will use that information to make more convincing replicas. I'll just say that some details of the craftsmanship indicate that this teapot is not fully handmade.

I understand that you can't share details, don't worry . Can you be sure it is not at least slip-cast? should be half-handmade at least... I'm attaching more photos to help identify an hypothetical slip cast build

[steanze]

Can you be sure it is not at least slip-cast? should be half-handmade at least...

In my opinion it is not slip cast.

[Bok]

+1 to all the comments shared above. Reddit is probably the worst place to ask for an opinion on Yixing/Tea, facebook can be better IF you find the right group to ask... Some have huge followership with many "experts" who are sadly only experts in how to overestimate what they know.

Anyways... use the pot and let the tea speak for its qualities.

As for the clay: the more likely the pot has been made as an intentional fake, the more it is also likely that the clay is dodgy. Shape does not seem to be an obvious copy of something older, so if fake it is not a high quality one.

As the pot is modern and the shape is not executed too well, we might further conclude that – if not a purposeful fake, the unlikelihood that they used good/real Zhuni clay. But all these are assumptions and might all turn out to be wrong.

[mhegara]

Can you be sure it is not at least slip-cast? should be half-handmade at least...

In my opinion it is not slip cast.

thanks a lot for taking your time helping me! it's really appreciated!

[mhegara]

+1 to all the comments shared above. Reddit is probably the worst place to ask for an opinion on Yixing/Tea, facebook can be better IF you find the right group to ask... Some have huge followership with many "experts" who are sadly only experts in how to overestimate what they know.

Anyways... use the pot and let the tea speak for its qualities.

As for the clay: the more likely the pot has been made as an intentional fake, the more it is also likely that the clay is dodgy. Shape does not seem to be an obvious copy of something older, so if fake it is not a high quality one.

As the pot is modern and the shape is not executed too well, we might further conclude that – if not a purposeful fake, the unlikelihood that they used good/real Zhuni clay. But all these are assumptions and might all turn out to be wrong.

thanks Bok! it's a logic deduction. I'll use it with tea and see how it performs: I hope to not get poisoned!

[Bok]

Be at ease friend… we’re all much more likely to get poisoned by sugar, additives and whatnot from what we buy at the supermarket than from a humble clay pot.

[mhegara]

Be at ease friend… we’re all much more likely to get poisoned by sugar, additives and whatnot from what we buy at the supermarket than from a humble clay pot.

wise words, wise words...

[mhegara]

i have some interesting updates:
after asking in a Facebook group, the mark was successfully read:

清香美月 [Qing Xiang Mei Yue] 'Pure Fragrance Beautiful Moon'a

also the user who identified the mark found some pots with the same mark on internet:

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=690 ... J9E-wlNuOk
(about this one he said: "Below is a pot with the same mark (though reading is erroneous) identified as 1980s pot custom made in Yixing for export to Taiwan")

https://www.carousell.com.hk/p/%E2%AD%9 ... 110020611/

https://book.kongfz.com/356126/54673241 ... MaGxaFwd-8

I'm attaching some photos of the similar mark teapots and the mark comparison

[steanze]

i have some interesting updates:
after asking in a Facebook group, the mark was successfully read:

清香美月 [Qing Xiang Mei Yue] 'Pure Fragrance Beautiful Moon'a

also the user who identified the mark found some pots with the same mark on internet:

this kind of research will not yield new insights on a modern mass produced teapot... the seal can be copied from anywhere

[Bok]

Agreed, most important is to look at the pot itself. The first one you posted for example in the new references has quite obviously some very terrible clay... 1980 Export to Taiwan is an often heard excuse for weird fakes.

Custom order commision is the dodgy teapot sellers best friend.