Vintage nixing pots

[Yu855]

Interesting topic. Was just wondering, where would one even find these vintage nixing pots being sold?

[.m.]

Interesting topic. Was just wondering, where would one even find these vintage nixing pots being sold?

Ebay, Marketplace, local classifieds, flea markets, charity and junkshops, etc. , often mislabeled as yixing. There is plenty in Europe. Here are some examples from ebay after a quick scroll (I'm not endorsing any of those, just examples), a reasonable price should not be too high (e.g. 25 Euro for a teapot) unless the quality is exceptional.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/363125682157
https://www.ebay.com/itm/235093668793
https://www.ebay.com/itm/264842739663

[wave_code]

I'm pretty sure that the small begonia pot has a mis-matched lid. I'm yet to see one of those, or any nixing from that era, that actually has an air hole in the knob like that. That said, it does look pretty nice with a puffed/domed lid rather than a flat one!

[.m.]

I'm pretty sure that the small begonia pot has a mis-matched lid. I'm yet to see one of those, or any nixing from that era, that actually has an air hole in the knob like that. That said, it does look pretty nice with a puffed/domed lid rather than a flat one!

Totally

[tolean]

I found this one and I am thinking to buy it. What do you think? It is darker in colour and has 4 holes. Did anyone have smth similar or maybe has an opinion about it from the photos?
Thank you!

[.m.]

Nice blog post about the classic Haitang teapot, a.k.a Begonia pot. The name Haitang 海棠 stands for a flowering crabapple (Malus spectabilis). The common translation as begonia, while definitely more poetic sounding, might be a bit misleading. Anyway, here's the post:
https://huctan.blogspot.com/2022/02/blog-post.html

[Greywacke]

chonky1.jpg (393.62 KiB) Viewed 9134 times

I instantly remembered this thread while browsing craigslist.

It was being described as a yixing, and I picked it up with a tray and cups, though clearly not a set. I neat little collectable; I can't quite puzzle out if it's supposed to be a fish, a dragon, or a ram. Four hole filter, tiger striping, and a terrible-fitting lid.

[pepson]

Just one notice to Nixing begonia pot.
I bought one in chawangshop and I copy info :
"Info : Hand made teapot. This shape was made during 1970-80s and this is newer replica. Old ones had poor made filter and usually pour water out bad. This pot work well and can be perfect for your liubao tea. (Same shape as this on the CNNP Yellow box super grade liubao)."

Hera are my three Nixing pets
They are different of each other. Begonia (Liu Bao) is thick walled, pear shape pot (Liu An) is extremely thin walled and smooth and the third one (Fu) is thin walled but rough inside.

[.m.]

a terrible-fitting lid.

Sounds about right

[sheep.payday2]

If anyone can read the calligraphy on them I'd be curious what it says. […]

I'm late to the party, but the large pot (left) reads, from left to right, 法香, literally "Buddhist fragrance" referring to the scent of offering incense. 法香 is apparently also a name for parsley, which I doubt is meant here. The small pot (right) says 清香, which quite simply means delicate fragrance.

I swear I've seen these carved from right to left as well. Should have saved the picture.

[wave_code]

Ah great, thanks! I have a couple more with some different carvings I should get up on here.

[sheep.payday2]

I found a begonia pot of sorts a while ago, which originally took me to this thread. I wonder if anybody here has come across this type, or knows how it relates to the export pots that have been discussed.


IMG_20240904_084038 by multaa, on Flickr

"Birb" carving with white infill. The calligraphy on the reverse side is not half bad, and the lid fits a-okay. The volume is 500 ml or so.


IMG_20240904_084354 by multaa, on Flickr

The pot looks like it was slip cast in one piece, and the spout joins the body seamlessly. I guess you could call this a single hole filter? At least it pours fast… The pale stuff is remains of (probably) limescale on a rough spot that I could not get out completely. The clay looks slightly more interesting in real life, with mica and tiny iron (?) spots, but I'm not convinced that it even is nixing. At least it's quite different from any nixing that I've held.


IMG_20240904_083341 by multaa, on Flickr

The bottom is ever so slightly concave with no markings whatsoever.


IMG_20240904_083552 by multaa, on Flickr

[wave_code]

Quite the sideways bird on there!

I haven't seen other totally slipcast pots like this before. I imagine the clay is pretty different consistency made more up of the softer clay usually used to make nixing, but maybe it could even be totally different. Also no idea what this could mean for production period either. It all looks quite a bit thinner walled than similar nixing pots. It looks like there are no filter holes? Looks like there is some bubbling on the bird's tail- is the calligraphy part of the slip mold itself rather than being carved after?

[sheep.payday2]

@wave_code yes, there are no filter holes, it's an unibody construction and fairly thin walled. The decoration is all carved. There's a spot on the bird's tail where the infill has either chipped away or was never applied. The closeup also shows a couple pinholes.

Since nixing is a mixture clay anyway, I suppose it could be just a mixture optimized for slip casting, or something else entirely. I'm not sure if I ever want to find out what it does to tea, because I find the interior slightly off-putting, but the workmanship is an odd combination of good and bad.


IMG_20240927_102930 by multaa, on Flickr

[pathlesstaken]

I recently came into a Nixing 4 cup set, with a Begonia pot and a caddy. I believe this set to be unused, given the pot still had clay dust inside. While I was doing an initial boiling rinse, a bit of hot water spilled out onto the polished surface, and left a rough to the touch surface. I've attached a picture of this on the cups in the set. You can see the left is much grittier. This can be removed by lightly rubbing the surface with a towel, and doesn't reoccur with re-exposure to hot water. Does anyone know what this might be?