TeaForum.org

http://www.renfucollection.com/index.php/blog

As someone who is not a part of the Yixing collecting world he is describing, this blog is fascinating to me because a large portion of it is dedicated to trash-talking. I had no idea there were these sorts of rivalries... The author seems to be a bit of a showman -- he says his collection was built mostly through grey-market digs and salvage operations, a bit like an Indiana Jones type scenario.

Maybe an interesting read for others too.

He's quite controversial alright that Gentleman – or shall we say grave robber? Because that is what some of his collection are apparently... excavated from graves through back door channels.

Also all pretty much unusable, be it shipwreck or grave, those pots can not be used anymore for tea. But the site is a brilliant reference for Mid Qing dynasty Yixing teaware.

Fascinating site. The trash-talking is pretty over the top funny, the antique teapots interesting to browse through, but I didn’t know being buried with your teaware was a thing?

Bok wrote: ↑

Mon May 10, 2021 8:11 pm

He's quite controversial alright that Gentleman – or shall we say grave robber? Because that is what some of his collection are apparently... excavated from graves through back door channels.

Also all pretty much unusable, be it shipwreck or grave, those pots can not be used anymore for tea. But the site is a brilliant reference for Mid Qing dynasty Yixing teaware.

How do we know, that other antiques sold on the market aren't from such sources too?

@Youzi some you can see, some you’ll smell, some can be identified by the brewing results(although that’s often too late).

Suspiciously low price can be an indication. As far as I know it mostly concerns mid Qing and earlier periods.

And some you find out when the ghost of the previous owner haunts your abode…

Bok wrote: ↑

Tue May 11, 2021 4:06 am

And some you find out when the ghost of the previous owner haunts your abode…

Probably the reason my wife doesn't let me buy antique pots....

I heard mention that buried pots have some kind of "black fire"? I forget the term but it was mentioned to me by the person behind TWL on communitea a while back. Maybe @steanze can comment.

LeoFox wrote: ↑

Tue May 11, 2021 5:02 am

I heard mention that buried pots have some kind of "black fire"? I forget the term but it was mentioned to me by the person behind TWL on communitea a while back. Maybe steanze can comment.

In Taiwan, we said it's 土沁. it means the clay had suck mud a while. And it's hard to clean it up.

--

Just for a bad joke - in my local community. We said it stew with ribs soup.

maple wrote: ↑

Tue May 11, 2021 5:57 am

LeoFox wrote: ↑

Tue May 11, 2021 5:02 am

I heard mention that buried pots have some kind of "black fire"? I forget the term but it was mentioned to me by the person behind TWL on communitea a while back. Maybe steanze can comment.

In Taiwan, we said it's 土沁. it means the clay had suck mud a while. And it's hard to clean it up.

--

Just for a bad joke - in my local community. We said it stew with ribs soup.

That is pretty dark humor! Hahaha.

Bok wrote: ↑

Mon May 10, 2021 8:11 pm

He's quite controversial alright that Gentleman – or shall we say grave robber? Because that is what some of his collection are apparently... excavated from graves through back door channels.

Also all pretty much unusable, be it shipwreck or grave, those pots can not be used anymore for tea. But the site is a brilliant reference for Mid Qing dynasty Yixing teaware.

Wow teaparker using one of these shipwreck pots for yancha

http://teamasters.blogspot.com/2006/11/ ... d.html?m=1

http://teamasters.blogspot.com/2006/11/ ... t.html?m=1

LeoFox wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 06, 2021 10:21 pm

Wow teaparker using one of these shipwreck pots for yancha

http://teamasters.blogspot.com/2006/11/ ... d.html?m=1

http://teamasters.blogspot.com/2006/11/ ... t.html?m=1

Tells you a lot...

That checklist of Stephane is... well, also revealing.

That's a fascinating website, for various reasons... Thank you @mbanu for drawing it to my attention.

@Bok: am I correct in understanding that, regardless of what we think about the person involved, his showmanship, his widespread allegations of fraud, or his apparent grave-robbing methods (all of which perhaps could be used to describe some other persons out there in the wider world who I can think of...), the photos themselves are actually a good way to learn about mid-qing or earlier pots?

Many of them are perhaps a bit less elegant than what I had imagined might be the case (though some are very fine, if you can see past the hideous stains). I assume that many of these would have been somewhere between very rough commoner pots which have been lost to time, and very fine artisan pots which didn't end up in the ground next to their owners. Presumably small zhuni pots were often in that range of something between a rough cheap zini pot and an artistic masterpiece in a palace.

And it'd be very interesting to hear from anyone who has tried tea made in grave pots or shipwreck pots (if they're willing to admit to it)...

Andrew