Yixing

[Kolleh]

(I'm not sure the images got posted on the last one, and I have no way to check while it's being moderated, so:)

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[.m.]

So I'm mainly interested in confirming that the pots have decent clay, or at least aren't poisoning me.

It is very hard if not impossible to know without testing what kind of additives a teapot contains unless one has a good knowledge of its origin and the manufacturing process used (that's one of the reasons why people collect Factory 1 pots).
Apart of the blue color (cobalt oxide?), the clay too looks questionable...
I believe there's been some food security protocols for ceramics industry implemented in China sometimes around 2016 (?), but before that anything was possible.

[Kolleh]

So I'm mainly interested in confirming that the pots have decent clay, or at least aren't poisoning me.

It is very hard if not impossible to know without testing what kind of additives a teapot contains unless one has a good knowledge of its origin and the manufacturing process used (that's one of the reasons why people collect Factory 1 pots).
Apart of the blue color (cobalt oxide?), the clay too looks questionable...
I believe there's been some food security protocols for ceramics industry implemented in China sometimes around 2016 (?), but before that anything was possible.

I see. The pot is new, as far as I know. I bought it from a popular shop on Tmall (think Taobao, except you need to be a brand owner/authorized distributor). The original page is here: https://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?id=60 ... sqpttde95a Though the photos are hilariously photoshopped—the pot isn't nearly that bright a blue, closer to a matte navy-black. You can see some other customer photos in the reviews.

As far as I can tell, the page claims that it's aged lǜ ní with no additives.

[Balthazar]

Hi, all! I started collecting zisha pots this year off of Taobao and sort of jumped into it without reading up on it enough. Now have a ton of pots and a sinking suspicion at least some of them are fake. Is this the right place to ask for help?

Welcome! Well, fake is relative. Pots might be really from Yixing, but still be crap and vice versa. Question will more be what kind of clay has been used and how good the craft is. Other than that everyone is on Taobao, the good and the bad ones - and then some... it’s just the larger version Amazon for China

+1

As usual, the main indicator (but by no means guarantee) of quality is going to be the price you paid. There are no great bargains for yixing pots and Taobao is no exception to this general rule.

My main concern would be additives.

[Youzi]

@Kolleh
Looking at the photos and the tmall page it's probably a cobalt oxide added, random clay. It looks half hand made, but at that price, it's 99% that it's a locomotive pot.

Edit:
Oh, and there isn't naturally blue or green clay in yixing, never existed. Those are made with added cobalt or chromium oxide.

[Kolleh]

So it is probably literally toxic? That's depressing. I loved the design a lot, apparently-poisonous colour included. I suppose I can't even regift it in good conscience, then.

Oh, and there isn't naturally blue or green clay in yixing, never existed. Those are made with added cobalt or chromium oxide.

I'm surprised to hear that! I'd heard that there was blue/green clay, but it was extremely rare and therefore you could almost guarantee that any you find wouldn't be real unless it was up in the four-digit price range.

If price is the best indicator, what price range should I be looking for? Bearing in mind I'm buying in RMB.

(It's nighttime now, but I'll try posting other teapots in the morning. Looks like my posts don't need to be moderated anymore, so that should go much faster now!)

[steanze]

So it is probably literally toxic? That's depressing. I loved the design a lot, apparently-poisonous colour included. I suppose I can't even regift it in good conscience, then.

Oh, and there isn't naturally blue or green clay in yixing, never existed. Those are made with added cobalt or chromium oxide.

I'm surprised to hear that! I'd heard that there was blue/green clay, but it was extremely rare and therefore you could almost guarantee that any you find wouldn't be real unless it was up in the four-digit price range.

If price is the best indicator, what price range should I be looking for? Bearing in mind I'm buying in RMB.

(It's nighttime now, but I'll try posting other teapots in the morning. Looks like my posts don't need to be moderated anymore, so that should go much faster now!)

+1 I would not use that pot. @Youzi is right, there isn't naturally blue/green Yixing clay. There is a type of clay called "lvni" (green clay), which is quite rare, but it is green before firing, not after firing. Teapots from genuine non-doped lvni clay are not actually green.

Looking forward to seeing your other teapots, and no worries, it is normal to get some "tuition" pots at the beginning, you can take the perspective that their value is that they are making you have these conversations and helping you to learn more

[faj]

+1 I would not use that pot. Youzi is right, there isn't naturally blue/green Yixing clay.

Would it be right to say that reduction fired clay can become a very dark greyish blue without additives?

[steanze]

+1 I would not use that pot. Youzi is right, there isn't naturally blue/green Yixing clay.

Would it be right to say that reduction fired clay can become a very dark greyish blue without additives?

For Yixing, I have seen reduction fired pots that are grayish black, and also some with a metallic look in places. I haven't quite seen any blue ones though so far.

[Youzi]

+1 I would not use that pot. Youzi is right, there isn't naturally blue/green Yixing clay.

Would it be right to say that reduction fired clay can become a very dark greyish blue without additives?

Reduction firing basically makes the iron in the clay turn black instead of red. (magnetite, I think) under certain light conditions, maybe it can be bluish, but not under natural or all light.

There is no blue or green teapots. Tianqingni, which is usually translated as azure clay is a zini, so it's brown after firing. It's kinda bluish grey before firing.

There is Lüni, as Steanze said. Which is called green clay because the rock is gray. . Khm.... "green" colored. Before firing it's grey and after firing it's beige, whiteish, pastel yellow colored.

@Kolleh

Over 1000 you can get decent ones. Between 500-1000 you have a chance to get half hand. Unless it's an overpriced locomotive.

I wouldn't say the teapot is necessarily toxic. You have cobalt oxide in your multivitamin. It's just not made with t traditional process from traditional materials. Therefore besides the shape and probably the location it has not much to do with yixing teapots.

[faj]

For Yixing, I have seen reduction fired pots that are grayish black, and also some with a metallic look in places. I haven't quite seen any blue ones though so far.

The reduction fired teapots I am aware of are Japanese rather than Yixing, and I guess the actual clay matters in terms of exact color after reduction firing. Sorry in advance for the off-topic examples, I just want to exemplify my frame of reference.





I assumed up until now these were not colored with additives, but I do not think I have seen this clearly stated anywhere. I do not have a Gafu reduction fired pot (second picture), but I have one from Watanabe Tozo (first picture), and the color from the picture is about right on my monitor. Under warm light it may seem almost brownish, while under cooler light it will seem a slightly blue-tinted dark grey, almost black.

[steanze]

For Yixing, I have seen reduction fired pots that are grayish black, and also some with a metallic look in places. I haven't quite seen any blue ones though so far.

The reduction fired teapots I am aware of are Japanese rather than Yixing, and I guess the actual clay matters in terms of exact color after reduction firing. Sorry in advance for the off-topic examples, I just want to exemplify my frame of reference.





I assumed up until now these were not colored with additives, but I do not think I have seen this clearly stated anywhere. I do not have a Gafu reduction fired pot (second picture), but I have one from Watanabe Tozo (first picture), and the color from the picture is about right on my monitor. Under warm light it may seem almost brownish, while under cooler light it will seem a slightly blue-tinted dark grey, almost black.

Thanks for the examples, this is helpful. These look compatible with just reduction firing (no additives). I would not call these blue. There is some subjectivity to category boundaries for color labels, so it is totally possible that someone would call them "blue".

[faj]

Thanks for the examples, this is helpful. These look compatible with just reduction firing (no additives). I would not call these blue. There is some subjectivity to category boundaries for color labels, so it is totally possible that someone would call them "blue".

Thanks for your input. I agree this is not blue in the quintessential sense, but it can be seen as somewhat blue. Clarifying this gives me a better understanding of what is meant when you write:

@Youzi is right, there isn't naturally blue/green Yixing clay

It is just a nuance, but then a lot of the good or important stuff in life lies in the nuances...

[TeaTotaling]

This pot is made from Min Guo Lüni, and has a similar blueish appearance to @Kolleh’s.

[DailyTX]

Anyone know if later F1 have any fire reduction pots? Here is a pot from F1 in late 80s early 90s. I think it may be magnesium oxide. What do you think?