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Read about original ore qinghuini 原矿青灰泥, a subtype of purple Yixing clay, in this week's blog entry:
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https://www.mudandleaves.com/teatime-bl ... -qinghuini
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Qinghuini from the ROC period:

@Bok, @mudandleaves .Those are wonderful! I wish I understood pots and clays (and porcelains.) Sadly, I know nothing about this. Where is a good place to begin?

Tillerman wrote: ↑

Sat May 18, 2019 9:56 am

Bok, mudandleaves .Those are wonderful! I wish I understood pots and clays (and porcelains.) Sadly, I know nothing about this. Where is a good place to begin?

Difficult question. So many things to take into account, no less complicated and diverse than tea itself...

Let me know on your next Taiwan trip! No better way to start then by playing with the real stuff.

Yes, @Bok’s invitation is a great start. Handling and learning about pots from someone who has a good collection is a great way to start. Likewise, @Tillerman you are welcome to come to my place anytime for tea and teapot browsing. I started my collection at an Aikido Center Asian antiquities sale. Greater San Francisco Bay Area has many Asian immigrants, maybe you’ll get lucky. Personally, I think it helps to know something about art and art history, to get a feel for quality, proportions, history, culture.... You might begin a refresher by visiting the Hess Collection art museum just outside of Napa. What a gem of a collection.

Bok, your new pot is really beautiful. Can I have one please .

Just had a fun thought; we could fly around the world visiting member teaware collections; Bok in Taipei, pedant Chicago, Chip/Jo Pennsylvania, Octo Penang, Baisao Austin, Steanze Boston, octopus China, mudandleaves Guangzhou, Victoria Santa Monica....

Thank you @Bok and @Victoria. I look forward to taking each of you up on your very kind offers.

Victoria wrote: ↑

Sat May 18, 2019 1:16 pm

Just had a fun thought; we could fly around the world visiting member teaware collections; Bok in Taipei, pedant Chicago, Chip/Jo Pennsylvania, Octo Penang, Baisao Austin, Steanze Boston, octopus China, mudandleaves Guangzhou, Victoria Santa Monica....

Anyone dropping by Penang, let me know!!

Hahahahaha.... agree with @Bok nothing beats first hand experience with the pots!! Hold them, feel them, rub them, caress them, smell them..... ok ok.. I better stop right here..... bottom line.... come visit and we have have fun!!

*Aladdin theme song ....*

I can show you the world..... HongNi, ZhuNi, QingHuiNi...

Cheers!!!

Tillerman wrote: ↑

Sat May 18, 2019 4:30 pm

Thank you Bok and Victoria. I look forward to taking each of you up on your very kind offers.

Anytime!

One thing I just thought of: when testing a clay, always bring some of your own teas that you are intimately familiar with, like this the difference will be most obvious to you.

That is how I converted a mutual friend of @Victoria and mine to the dark side...

Tillerman wrote: ↑

Sat May 18, 2019 9:56 am

Bok, mudandleaves .Those are wonderful! I wish I understood pots and clays (and porcelains.) Sadly, I know nothing about this. Where is a good place to begin?

Thanks

As others have suggested, handling and using teapots is a great way to get a feeling for the clay and to learn what a good Yixing Teapot is like. There are some great print sources available today for learning about the different clays, how they were discovered and used (please feel free to DM me if you're interested). Let me know if you happen to travel to GZ. There is an excellent collection of Yixing Teapots in Fangcun. The collector has a shop/museum on Fangcun BLVD. It is more like a gallery than a shop, with most of the collection not for sale. She has teapots spanning the Qing Dynasty to Present. She is also very approachable and loves to discuss the subject. And of course, if you're making the trip to China, Yixing is the best place to learn about it.