Yinchen Studio

[hopeofdawn]

hopeofdawn, Not knowing where you live, makes giving advice more difficult. If possible w/o too much bother, I think some shopping in person makes sense for you. Cheers

Sadly, I am in the Seattle area. We have some really good tea shops, but I've never been able to find anyone that carries good yixing.

[ferg]

@hopeofdawn

Yeah, no offense taken. Sorry, I was maybe too upfront with opinion. I just thought a lot to spend, and not know for sure. If truly handmade, I would think they would be showing that within their IG videos. Why wouldn’t you be?

Thanks for sharing what qualities you look for in Yixing. I can appreciate the historical context and aesthetic appreciation. If you seek handmade teapot perhaps consider kyusu, repurposed for Chinese or Taiwanese teas.

If interested, I recently came to learn of a Chaozhou potter who makes handmade pots, wheel thrown not slab, at a much more reasonable cost. I plan to pick up a pot myself sometime soon.

[Bok]

@ferg Chaozhou is always wheel thrown, sometimes mould made, but most on a wheel.

[ferg]

@Bok Ok, good to know, thanks. I believe you have a CZ pot. Does it get much use?

So wheel thrown would be considered half handmade I suppose, right? Even in this vendor’s IG vids, it appears he starts slab based and then throws on what appears to be a wheel. After all it spins!

Is anyone straight up not using a wheel whatsoever? And as far as quality goes, why does full handmade matter all that much? Just a preference thing, or perhaps certain pots can only be made by hand.

I assume tools of some kind must be used in some manner, and a wheel can just be considered one of those tools.

[Bok]

@ferg I got a few Chaozhou pots. Wheel thrown is of course fully handmade. Just like any other wheel made pottery.

But some antique ones were made mould assisted, so…

Any pottery uses tools… impossible to make a teapot without any tools.

But it doesn’t matter really. It takes more time that’s why it’s more expensive. Simple as that. Time is money. Taste wise it makes no difference whatsoever. I guess a handmade pot has the additional charm of irregularity.

[ferg]

@Bok Great, thanks for the clarity! I thought wheel was handmade, but this conversation had me second guessing myself. I’m more accustomed to seeing kyusu made, so yixing and CZ is newer territory for me.

[teatray]

handmade: hand & tools, incl. a small wheel moved by hand (but you don't start with throwing a blob of clay on it)


half-handmade: use of molds at least for some parts


fully finger-formed (not yixing): https://www.buyjp4u.com/product_detail.asp?Id=4967, https://www.buyjp4u.com/product_detail.asp?Id=5234

In most contexts (other than yixing), handmade would include wheel-thrown pottery (electrical/foot-operated wheel).

[ferg]

@teatray This is great stuff! Thanks much! For taking the time.

I will take a closer look later this evening when I have some more downtime.

[PamelaOry]

handmade: hand & tools, incl. a small wheel moved by hand (but you don't start with throwing a blob of clay on it)


half-handmade: use of molds at least for some parts


fully finger-formed (not yixing): https://www.buyjp4u.com/product_detail.asp?Id=4967, https://www.buyjp4u.com/product_detail.asp?Id=5234

In most contexts (other than yixing), handmade would include wheel-thrown pottery (electrical/foot-operated wheel).

Thanks for sharing this, it really helps clarify what “half handmade “ means.

I did end up ordering the elephant pot I had asked about earlier in this thread. It arrived just yesterday. It was well packaged and came with a hand written authentication? Certificate. I can’t read it so can only guess as to its contents.

The pot is very cute, just as in its pictures. I’ve used it once and notice it has a smooth but slow pour. (Either that or perhaps I had too much tea packed in there). No complaints here.

[Darbotek]

I have two Yinchen pots and I quite enjoy them. They are not super ornate and I’m not one to notice intricacies in clay effects, but I love using them.