Yinchen Studio

Vendor news and self-promotion
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Youzi
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Location: Shaxi, Yunnan, China
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Fri Dec 17, 2021 3:08 pm

teabug wrote:
Fri Dec 17, 2021 2:47 pm
Youzi wrote:
Mon Dec 13, 2021 2:32 am
Yinchen seem to be working with many side channels / distributors.
I find it more likely that they sell generic and mass produced pots that other vendors sell as well. Or why do they not sell under their own label/name on aliexpress? Yinchen seem to be just another bullshitter in the chinese tea business. Just like Yann „Art gallery“.
It's cheaper to resell to a 100 different distributors than to manage a 100 different store fronts on 100 different platforms and languages.

Yann is much smaller scale, and works with more established and individual people.

Yinchen is a much bigger studio, and thus they can offer a bigger variety.

They aim at different things.
Last edited by Youzi on Fri Dec 17, 2021 4:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
.m.
Posts: 877
Joined: Wed Oct 11, 2017 3:26 pm
Location: Prague

Fri Dec 17, 2021 3:11 pm

teabug wrote:
Fri Dec 17, 2021 2:47 pm
Youzi wrote:
Mon Dec 13, 2021 2:32 am
Yinchen seem to be working with many side channels / distributors.
I find it more likely that they sell generic and mass produced pots that other vendors sell as well. Or why do they not sell under their own label/name on aliexpress? Yinchen seem to be just another bullshitter in the chinese tea business. Just like Yann „Art gallery“.
I think Yinchen Studio and Yann Gallery are simply two webshops oriented toward western market -- obviously there many other oriented towards the domestic or other markets. Whether they are directly linked to the workshops that produce the pots is not that important. It seems the pricing is very much in line with local prices, without any premiums or middlemen. Can one fully trust all their claims or a consistency of quality? Not sure... still waiting to be convinced.
teabug
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Wed Dec 22, 2021 3:47 am

.m. wrote:
Fri Dec 17, 2021 3:11 pm
…Yinchen Studio and Yann Gallery…Whether they are directly linked to the workshops that produce the pots is not that important.
To me that is precisely the most important part of their business. Both claim to be quality oriented workshops with internet distribution.

Yinchen Studio was found by Master Gao jian qiang(高建强) & Master Xu mei ping(徐美萍) in 2000. We insist on using the original Yixing purple clay which from Huanglong mountain. We use the traditional method to refine the ore without any chemical. Master Gao has more than 30 years experience in refining the ore. Master Xu has more than 40 years experience in crafting the teapots, she studied under Master Xu han tang(徐汉棠).

And don‘t even get me started on Yann Gallery :x . I purchased my most expensive „fully handmade“ (her claim!) clay pot from her. Made by „master craftsman“ She Rong Fei. A pot that holds the record for slow pouring and awkward knob design. Needless to say that my three star review (I wrote that upon her request) never made it past the censor. But they adressed my points, silently changed the knob and spout design and took the original pots off the website, replacing them with the design 2.0 pots. A true „master“ of his craft that She Rong Fei… :lol:
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teanik
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Wed Dec 22, 2021 9:55 pm

teabug wrote:
Wed Dec 22, 2021 3:47 am
.m. wrote:
Fri Dec 17, 2021 3:11 pm
…Yinchen Studio and Yann Gallery…Whether they are directly linked to the workshops that produce the pots is not that important.
To me that is precisely the most important part of their business. Both claim to be quality oriented workshops with internet distribution.

Yinchen Studio was found by Master Gao jian qiang(高建强) & Master Xu mei ping(徐美萍) in 2000. We insist on using the original Yixing purple clay which from Huanglong mountain. We use the traditional method to refine the ore without any chemical. Master Gao has more than 30 years experience in refining the ore. Master Xu has more than 40 years experience in crafting the teapots, she studied under Master Xu han tang(徐汉棠).

And don‘t even get me started on Yann Gallery :x . I purchased my most expensive „fully handmade“ (her claim!) clay pot from her. Made by „master craftsman“ She Rong Fei. A pot that holds the record for slow pouring and awkward knob design. Needless to say that my three star review (I wrote that upon her request) never made it past the censor. But they adressed my points, silently changed the knob and spout design and took the original pots off the website, replacing them with the design 2.0 pots. A true „master“ of his craft that She Rong Fei… :lol:
Hi @teabug. In no way do I want to discount the misfortune you had with the She Rong Fei pot you bought from Yann Art Gallery.
I would like to offer a different perspective, though, as I'm very happy with the seven pots I have from them.
Yann seems to refer to craftsmen without certification, such as She Rong Fei, as Capability Craft Master--someone with master capabilities but not certified. Shen Ye Chin on the same site is referred to in the same way. She's apparently waiting for her certification. The three pots I have from Shen Ye Chin are among my six or seven favorite pots in my modest collection.
Yann points out that She Rong Fei does not have certification: "She Rong Fei has no need for qualifications - he is a renaissance man with knowledge that spans beyond that of academia and certifications." The price of his pots at $285 US reflect this. I have two pots from him that I enjoy.
Teabug, if Yann's workshop, after you submitted your review, modified the design of your pot and removed from their website the other pots that were like yours, that would seem to indicate the site is directly linked to the workshops that produce the pots.

The TeaForum member and Zisha blogger, @Youzi, seems to feel the pricing at Yann's is fair:

Youzi wrote: ↑
Sun May 09, 2021 4:51 am

"The prices seem to add up. If you look at the prices for the artist on the site "She Rongfei" it's also in the same price range. I think most or all of his teapots are fully hand made. I have the 90ml pear zhuni teapot.
His style / finishing seems more crude than other potters, which I think is a nice touch, but not that popular in China.
For more info you can probably ask Yanni about the pots you are thinking about."
(found here: viewtopic.php?f=30&t=1535&hilit=Yann&start=15 )

Another happy customer can be found here: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=18&p=30391&hilit=Yann#p30391

I'm by no means an expert. I only have the 40 or so teapots I've collected over a short seven years. My price ceiling is relatively low--$500 each for the three Shen Ye Chin pots is the most I've paid (and, boy, am I glad I did). My only vintage pots are two Green Label QSN pots and a (90's?) Hong Ni. So my field for comparison is not very wide.
However, I felt I wanted to spend my 2 cents worth saying novices looking into affordable modern Yixing teapots might find it worthwhile looking a Yann's. I've also read good things on TeaForum about Yinchen.
teabug
Posts: 53
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Location: Zurich (Switzerland)

Sat Dec 25, 2021 9:31 am

teanik wrote:
Wed Dec 22, 2021 9:55 pm
Teabug, if Yann's workshop, after you submitted your review, modified the design of your pot and removed from their website the other pots that were like yours, that would seem to indicate the site is directly linked to the workshops that produce the pots.
Well, to me that fact indicates a certain inaptitude of „master“ She Rong Fei. If I as a customer are lead to believe the pot is handmade (which it very likely is not) and a master of his craft has manufactured it from high quality clay, then I feel cheated when it turns out the pot is seemingly an experiment (from his aprentice?). Or are you telling me that the „master“ changes his well thought out design and swaps it surreptitiously for a modified version just because one customer in the west complains?
teanik wrote:
Wed Dec 22, 2021 9:55 pm
The TeaForum member and Zisha blogger, Youzi, seems to feel the pricing at Yann's is fair
Fair enough…
teanik wrote:
Wed Dec 22, 2021 9:55 pm
I'm by no means an expert. I only have the 40 or so teapots I've collected over a short seven years.
„only“ 40 tea pots in 7 years?
teanik wrote:
Wed Dec 22, 2021 9:55 pm
I felt I wanted to spend my 2 cents worth saying novices looking into affordable modern Yixing teapots might find it worthwhile looking a Yann's. I've also read good things on TeaForum about Yinchen.
I can‘t comment on Yinchen, since I won’t be making a purchase from them after I‘ve seen „their“ pots being sold by another merchant on aliexpress. For me buying from Yann‘s studio was a big mistake and I won‘t be buying from her again either. So far I‘ve had the best experience with mudandleaves for clay pots. I will probably stick with them should I feel the need for another pot.
But to each their own.
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Youzi
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Sat Dec 25, 2021 12:15 pm

teabug wrote:
Sat Dec 25, 2021 9:31 am
teanik wrote:
Wed Dec 22, 2021 9:55 pm
Teabug, if Yann's workshop, after you submitted your review, modified the design of your pot and removed from their website the other pots that were like yours, that would seem to indicate the site is directly linked to the workshops that produce the pots.
Well, to me that fact indicates a certain inaptitude of „master“ She Rong Fei. If I as a customer are lead to believe the pot is handmade (which it very likely is not) and a master of his craft has manufactured it from high quality clay, then I feel cheated when it turns out the pot is seemingly an experiment (from his aprentice?). Or are you telling me that the „master“ changes his well thought out design and swaps it surreptitiously for a modified version just because one customer in the west complains?
teanik wrote:
Wed Dec 22, 2021 9:55 pm
The TeaForum member and Zisha blogger, Youzi, seems to feel the pricing at Yann's is fair
Fair enough…
teanik wrote:
Wed Dec 22, 2021 9:55 pm
I'm by no means an expert. I only have the 40 or so teapots I've collected over a short seven years.
„only“ 40 tea pots in 7 years?
teanik wrote:
Wed Dec 22, 2021 9:55 pm
I felt I wanted to spend my 2 cents worth saying novices looking into affordable modern Yixing teapots might find it worthwhile looking a Yann's. I've also read good things on TeaForum about Yinchen.
I can‘t comment on Yinchen, since I won’t be making a purchase from them after I‘ve seen „their“ pots being sold by another merchant on aliexpress. For me buying from Yann‘s studio was a big mistake and I won‘t be buying from her again either. So far I‘ve had the best experience with mudandleaves for clay pots. I will probably stick with them should I feel the need for another pot.
But to each their own.
My guess is that Yanni read your review about your problems, and told SRF to change the design, because the qualities you listed which were missing are more important for Western customers to who Yanni sells to, then the overall harmony of the design.

SRF is Yanni's close family friends iirc. So such a request is probably not a big deal.
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Baisao
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Sat Dec 25, 2021 2:03 pm

@teabug, I am curious about the awkward knob. Do you have photos?

I have pots that pour slowly but I adjust and use techniques so that speed is no longer an issue. Fast pouring pots are an exception in my collection and do not always correspond to the quality of the teapot. There are other factors that are more important to me but also more difficult to explain.

I am curious if photos will demonstrate that the knob prevents you from adjusting technique.

Happy holidays!
Chris
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Location: US

Sat Dec 25, 2021 3:29 pm

Semi-relatedly, I've noticed that a few pots sold by Yinchen have also been sold as entry-level pots by Yanni, at around the same price. I get the impression that there are just some potters selling to multiple buyers/resellers, which makes sense to me from a business perspective.

This should maybe go in the YZG thread at this point, but I bought a couple pots from Yanni, one of which was a custom request. I am very happy with them both, with a modest collection of F1 pots and a couple antiques as my limited reference points. They are made by Shen Ye Qin, though.

@Yann Zisha Gallery used to post here, maybe she would like to respond to some of the feedback above.
PamelaOry
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Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2023 10:57 am
Location: Philomath, Oregon

Sat Feb 18, 2023 3:28 pm

Hello!

I saw this pot advertised on my Facebook feed and am really drawn to it.

https://yinchenstudio.com/products/xian ... apot-160ml

I’d like to revive the discussion about Yinchen Studio if possible to get more educated opinions of their work/products.

What do you guys think?
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Baisao
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Sat Feb 18, 2023 4:45 pm

PamelaOry wrote:
Sat Feb 18, 2023 3:28 pm
Hello!

I saw this pot advertised on my Facebook feed and am really drawn to it.

https://yinchenstudio.com/products/xian ... apot-160ml

I’d like to revive the discussion about Yinchen Studio if possible to get more educated opinions of their work/products.

What do you guys think?
I haven’t been impressed recently. The teapots are kitschy and often have dubious characteristics.

@LeoFox, who is that modern Yixing teapot maker you recommend?
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pedant
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Sat Feb 18, 2023 5:37 pm

PamelaOry wrote:
Sat Feb 18, 2023 3:28 pm
https://yinchenstudio.com/products/xian ... apot-160ml

What do you guys think?
no clue what that particular clay performance is like, but i kind of like the look of it actually. get it if it makes you happy. it's not insanely expensive.
PamelaOry
Posts: 28
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2023 10:57 am
Location: Philomath, Oregon

Sun Feb 19, 2023 4:52 pm

pedant wrote:
Sat Feb 18, 2023 5:37 pm
no clue what that particular clay performance is like, but i kind of like the look of it actually. get it if it makes you happy. it's not insanely expensive.
Baisao wrote:
Sat Feb 18, 2023 4:45 pm
I haven’t been impressed recently. The teapots are kitschy and often have dubious characteristics.

LeoFox, who is that modern Yixing teapot maker you recommend?
Thank you both. I agree about some of their pots being kitschy. I was actually surprised to find that I liked one. But I do like it. I wonder about it being handmade for that price? I just paid a bit more than that for a pot from Mud and Leaves that is half handmade. I’m also curious about the clay. Perhaps its price point is because the clay is inexpensive?
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Bok
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Sun Feb 19, 2023 6:28 pm

PamelaOry wrote:
Sun Feb 19, 2023 4:52 pm
Thank you both. I agree about some of their pots being kitschy. I was actually surprised to find that I liked one. But I do like it. I wonder about it being handmade for that price?
You are right to wonder about that, seems a bit cheap to be full hand Western retail. But it does not explicitly state "full hand made", only says hand made...
It is known that they do have several categories of pots, some of their own studio, some of other studios.

Just buy what you like, don't buy the story.
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Baiyun
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Sun Feb 19, 2023 9:01 pm

@PamelaOry I have noticed that many vendors dropped the 'half-handmade' for 'handmade' when moulds are involved (which is technically ok) and you would definitely see an explicit 'fully handmade' if it was so. And if you see features like these feet, ornamental rings, and the boxy spout on the linked pot, it's certainly mould made at that price point. Fully handmade pots with more time consuming features tend to sit a level above the entry level fully handmade pots, whereas it's not a big deal with moulds.
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hopeofdawn
Posts: 75
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Tue Mar 14, 2023 11:55 am

Hello - I took a break from tea forums for awhile, but recently a pot caught my eye and I was thinking of getting it. However, the downgrading of Yinchen's reputation on this forum and elsewhere is making me pause - this is a pretty pricey pot (for me at least), and I don't want to be taken for a ride.

Just to be clear, I like the design and I don't care if it's a masterwork or whether it pairs well with a particular kind of tea (I have several other yixing from various sources and have never been able to taste the differences in tea when using them). I just want to make sure that a) this looks like it could be an authentic handmade pot and b) it's made out of real yixing zhuni/zisha clay and not something else. If anyone wants to weigh in on whether they think a pot like this is worth the asking price, I'd definitely appreciate it as well.

https://yinchenstudio.com/collections/y ... apot-260ml
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