Probably a nixing teapot

[tolean]

Hello masters. I found a teapot. I asked some people to help me identify it and they said: Base mark: 中国钦州 [Zhongguo Qinzhou] 'Qinzhou, China'.
Date: Summer of the year 1975.

Can you confirm it, or maybe add more info or opinion about it. I know it is hard to say from photos but does it really look that age? How do you think is the clay, execution etc. I have never seen a nixing pot from that time so I am wondering is it poor quality, were they like this in those years? Do you have, or ever seen smth similar? I need any reference and any (even if you are not sure) opinion. Thank you in advance.
Here is the set and teapot.

[teatray]

Did you compare with @wave_code's Vintage nixing pots
?

[Bok]

Pretty unlikely anyone fakes these... so should be what it looks like : )

[tolean]

Pretty unlikely anyone fakes these... so should be what it looks like : )

Thank you!
And ,,these,, do you think are of decent quality? Or a low mass production not worth to try?

I mean, for a modern teapot I would say this looks not too well made, but since I am not knowledgeable about older pots I wanted to ask, maybe in those days this was considered good or decent execution. Maybe it is considered that the craftsman ship can be worse but better clay since is is ,,old,, etc. just wondering if there may be any hidden horse that could make it be better then I think:)

[tolean]

Did you compare with wave_code's Vintage nixing pots
?

Good threat for me. Thanks, found some Interesting stuff there)).

[Bok]

Pretty unlikely anyone fakes these... so should be what it looks like : )

Thank you!
And ,,these,, do you think are of decent quality? Or a low mass production not worth to try?

I mean, for a modern teapot I would say this looks not too well made, but since I am not knowledgeable about older pots I wanted to ask, maybe in those days this was considered good or decent execution. Maybe it is considered that the craftsman ship can be worse but better clay since is is ,,old,, etc. just wondering if there may be any hidden horse that could make it be better then I think:)

Personally, I do not think Nixing is good for anything. It's cheap, that is its only plus. But then, for most teas it's terrible – so is it really cheap after all?

[tolean]

Pretty unlikely anyone fakes these... so should be what it looks like : )

Thank you!
And ,,these,, do you think are of decent quality? Or a low mass production not worth to try?

I mean, for a modern teapot I would say this looks not too well made, but since I am not knowledgeable about older pots I wanted to ask, maybe in those days this was considered good or decent execution. Maybe it is considered that the craftsman ship can be worse but better clay since is is ,,old,, etc. just wondering if there may be any hidden horse that could make it be better then I think:)

Personally, I do not think Nixing is good for anything. It's cheap, that is its only plus. But then, for most teas it's terrible – so is it really cheap after all?

Hmm that's an interesting opinion...
I have one modern nixing teapot +- 120 ml and I like how it brews my shu every morning for last 3 years. But I do not have other experience with this clay (secer sessions but not a proper experience with a teapot that I used for at least some months)

Thank you for the input anyway! I always love to hear different opinions and try to make mine in time.

[Bok]

I like how it brews my shu every morning for last 3 years.

That is the key point here. Many pots that are no good for anything else work for Shu.

[Balthazar]

And ,,these,, do you think are of decent quality? Or a low mass production not worth to try?

These arent necessarily contradictory. E.g. much of the early period yixing is definitely "mass production" too. "Low", well it depends on your definition. For the artistic merits and artisan skill related stuff, yes, I'd agree

Sample opinions of the people who are into similar teas as you. I know of some Malaysian collectors with excellent yixing that still opt for nixing for certain teas. Typically of the heicha family/families, yes.

[tolean]

I like how it brews my shu every morning for last 3 years.

That is the key point here. Many pots that are no good for anything else work for Shu.

From what I have found last years in my part of the world ( ex USSR countries) shu is much much much more popular then sheng. So maybe that is why here nixing is not considered so ,,bad,,. That was interesting for me to find out that here when we say puerh ( without any context) we mean shu in the rest of the world it mostly means sheng. And from what I read looks like nixing really goes well with hei Cha or other types of not ,, delicate/flavorous,, tea. Interesting observation and difference in tea culture approach)))

[tolean]

And ,,these,, do you think are of decent quality? Or a low mass production not worth to try?

These arent necessarily contradictory. E.g. much of the early period yixing is definitely "mass production" too. "Low", well it depends on your definition. For the artistic merits and artisan skill related stuff, yes, I'd agree

Sample opinions of the people who are into similar teas as you. I know of some Malaysian collectors with excellent yixing that still opt for nixing for certain teas. Typically of the heicha family/families, yes.

Thank you! Will try to gather as much info as I can and of course I will need more practice and teapots not only reading forums

[wave_code]

such a hater @Bok it can't all be antique zhuni. I am curious what your direct experience with it is- newer or older pots and what you were brewing with it? I'm not trying to call you wrong here - we all have our opinions and tastes. I know you know your clay which makes me even more curious about your personal experience with it since a lot of people I feel form an opinion or write it off without ever actually having used it. Given what you tend to be drinking most of the time I imagine I'd hold the same opinion too though - probably the last clay I would choose if I were in your shoes, and especially given your collection.

what you have here is the classic Begonia pot @tolean - frequently found as yours was in sets with cups and a plate or also in a clay nixing caddy. I should really update that other thread with more photos... I have I think 5 or 6 of these Begonia pots at this point from different periods of production among the other styles in my collection. These are to best of my knowledge slip cast in parts and then assembled/finished by handwork. Despite mass-production I find there can be quite a lot of variation in nixing clay batches- each one of my begonia pots has a different color due either to changes in the clay, firing, different carving or inlay style, and some more drastically than others also brew differently as a result - some highlight sweetness, others are better for aroma, some are more porous than others. Whether one likes the effects of the clay or not, another thing that tends to get nixing put in the corner is workmanship - a lot of these pots are rough, and nixing factory standards were never near what they were for say F1 yixing pots, and the amount of higher level artist made/stamped pots is much lower. Yours here for example is on the higher end of workmanship being higher polish, better carving and inlay, better cleaner lines, and still you see a big glob of clay on the underside by the seal A lot of modern nixing is no better off- though the workmanship is overall smoother and higher quality the taste level of a lot of the designs and carving one finds is... questionable

enjoy your new pot - and if you find it isn't the one for you I know it would look nice next to my other begonias

[tolean]

what you have here is the classic Begonia pot tolean - frequently found as yours was in sets with cups and a plate or also in a clay nixing caddy. I should really update that other thread with more photos... I have I think 5 or 6 of these Begonia pots at this point from different periods of production among the other styles in my collection. These are to best of my knowledge slip cast in parts and then assembled/finished by handwork. Despite mass-production I find there can be quite a lot of variation in nixing clay batches- each one of my begonia pots has a different color due either to changes in the clay, firing, different carving or inlay style, and some more drastically than others also brew differently as a result - some highlight sweetness, others are better for aroma, some are more porous than others. Whether one likes the effects of the clay or not, another thing that tends to get nixing put in the corner is workmanship - a lot of these pots are rough, and nixing factory standards were never near what they were for say F1 yixing pots, and the amount of higher level artist made/stamped pots is much lower. Yours here for example is on the higher end of workmanship being higher polish, better carving and inlay, better cleaner lines, and still you see a big glob of clay on the underside by the seal A lot of modern nixing is no better off- though the workmanship is overall smoother and higher quality the taste level of a lot of the designs and carving one finds is... questionable

enjoy your new pot - and if you find it isn't the one for you I know it would look nice next to my other begonias

Thank you! That is what I wanted to find out. Of course this does no look like a master hand made teapot, still was wondering if it is at least not the worst version oh his kind))

[wave_code]

No, I would say this is a quite nice version of this pot. Ones with Chinese seals tend to go for more money as special batches of clay and higher workmanship pots tend to have those seals- though I have both English and Chinese seal versions of these and other shape pots with both good and bad workmanship, its isn't always a given. The inlay style clay is less common, and the higher polish finish with better quality and more thin/defined lid knob, handle, and spout are rather nice on this example. If one wanted an older small size nixing I'd say this is a pretty nice one.

[tolean]

No, I would say this is a quite nice version of this pot. Ones with Chinese seals tend to go for more money as special batches of clay and higher workmanship pots tend to have those seals- though I have both English and Chinese seal versions of these and other shape pots with both good and bad workmanship, its isn't always a given. The inlay style clay is less common, and the higher polish finish with better quality and more thin/defined lid knob, handle, and spout are rather nice on this example. If one wanted an older small size nixing I'd say this is a pretty nice one.

Nice Then I will start the negotiations . Maybe it will be mine soon