So this is a JiangPoNi Shi Piao that some china based vendor sells. I'm not that interested in the pot as I'm in understanding what are those yellow spots that one often sees on pots? Is it because the clay was mixed with some material? Why is this usually done? For aestatic reasons?
(BTW - I'm on the watch for a shi-piao [this is how I got to this one]. would be gratful for any lead)
Yellow Spots on Yixing Clays
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Teachronicles
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I think it's bits of duanni yellow clay mixed in, for what purpose idk. Maybe some more knowledgeable can answer that.Kale wrote: ↑Wed May 23, 2018 7:21 pmSo this is a JiangPoNi Shi Piao that some china based vendor sells. I'm not that interested in the pot as I'm in understanding what are those yellow spots that one often sees on pots? Is it because the clay was mixed with some material? Why is this usually done? For aestatic reasons?
(BTW - I'm on the watch for a shi-piao [this is how I got to this one]. would be gratful for any lead)
I won't claim to be knowledgable but it looks similar to the surface of a pot I bought from YS last year ( https://yunnansourcing.com/collections/ ... apot-130ml ). From the description, I guess it's sand.
Yes, I guess it is sand, but I'm just wondering what kind of sand and why they do it?Henk wrote: ↑Wed May 23, 2018 10:16 pmI won't claim to be knowledgable but it looks similar to the surface of a pot I bought from YS last year ( https://yunnansourcing.com/collections/ ... apot-130ml ). From the description, I guess it's sand.
Bok! don't be so pessimistic. There is always hope.
For optical reasons and to sometimes imitate other clays. No effect on the brewing whatsoever from what I gather.Kale wrote: ↑Wed May 23, 2018 10:56 pmYes, I guess it is sand, but I'm just wondering what kind of sand and why they do it?Henk wrote: ↑Wed May 23, 2018 10:16 pmI won't claim to be knowledgable but it looks similar to the surface of a pot I bought from YS last year ( https://yunnansourcing.com/collections/ ... apot-130ml ). From the description, I guess it's sand.
If you go on Taobao you can see some crazy colour things going on.
This sand is added for aesthetic reasons since this pot is likely not handmade. However, sand... called grog... is frequently added to clays to make them dry more predictably and to reduce thermal expansion (less likely to crack in the kiln). Grogged clays also hold their shape better in slab built items.
I have the same pot, used it for shu, I don't find it mutes much, a lot more high fired than the couple 90s factory pots I have, it has a weird efffect on the body, makes it a bit watery but that might be the large size, unlike the description I measured 150ml to the top so I might have been underleafing, now I dont really use it, probably gonna sell it to a friend soon who drinks shu a bit more casually and dislikes gaiwans.
Its a cheap functional pot and thats about it.
Edit: I meant the ys pot linked above by Henk
Last edited by gatmcm on Thu May 24, 2018 9:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
Is it really 150ml? that is quite a mistake on the seller's account. Is it sold as 110ml right? (perhaps they mean with leaf).gatmcm wrote: ↑Thu May 24, 2018 8:33 amI have the same pot, used it for shu, I don't find it mutes much, a lot more high fired than the couple 90s factory pots I have, it has a weird efffect on the body, makes it a bit watery but that might be the large size, unlike the description I measured 150ml to the top so I might have been underleafing, now I dont really use it, probably gonna sell it to a friend soon who drinks shu a bit more casually and dislikes gaiwans.
Its a cheap functional pot and thats about it.
Watery feel sometimes indicates it is very porous...but I guess that it depends on more factors...
It is listed as 130ml, pretty sure I measured 150ml filled to the top, but not sure, can measure again, havent used the pot in a while, seller might have not filled 100%, most pots dont have the best pour when filled to the absolute top I find, especially ones that have the spout coming from the top like xishis do.
Personally I don't really fuss about pot size or pour so didn't think much of it.
On how porous it is I dont know, it looks and feels very high fired but I didnt really do a side by side comparison, might be in my head or my 90s pot might just do a better job, who knows, I dont really worry too much, I enjoy handling the f1 more either way (and the tea seems to come out better) and I've grown to dislike the xishi shape a bit I must admit.
Edit: i was and am talking about the ys one linked here, realized the pot that opened the thread is not the same and my post was pretty ambiguous to which I was talking about
Real Jiangponi is quite porous. Hard to tell what the yellow specks are for modern pots. Quality of clay looks so-so. Buying modern pots is tricky business, you need to know the craftsman who made it and know what quality of clay s/he has access to. The mediocre pots massively outnumber the good ones. Good modern pots do exist, but they are a needle in the haystack.