Yixing

[Demea]

Yinchen appears to have an IG post about the clay:

[Mark-S]

Looks to be a complete set in good condition. The era obviously effects price so maybe this one is CR or earlier. I think OCTO has a few of these from 50-70’s

Okay, thanks I wonder how they knew the era...

[Mark-S]

The teapot has arrived, and I posted some photos in the Facebook group. I think I will keep it in any case. The clay seems nice (Hongni, I think) and the lid fits perfectly. I don't care about the handle, because I do not see any flaws.

[Chadrinkincat]

Looks to be a complete set in good condition. The era obviously effects price so maybe this one is CR or earlier. I think OCTO has a few of these from 50-70’s

Okay, thanks I wonder how they knew the era...

By studying different eras of zisha

[Chadrinkincat]

The teapot has arrived, and I posted some photos in the Facebook group. I think I will keep it in any case. The clay seems nice (Hongni, I think) and the lid fits perfectly. I don't care about the handle, because I do not see any flaws.

Have you done a smell test w/ hot water yet?

[pantry]

The teapot has arrived, and I posted some photos in the Facebook group. I think I will keep it in any case. The clay seems nice (Hongni, I think) and the lid fits perfectly. I don't care about the handle, because I do not see any flaws.

It looks great! I don't see any flaws either. Tbh, I couldn't tell what people were talking about earlier between the two different handles

[pantry]

The teapot has arrived, and I posted some photos in the Facebook group. I think I will keep it in any case. The clay seems nice (Hongni, I think) and the lid fits perfectly. I don't care about the handle, because I do not see any flaws.

If anything, the lid fit being perfect would raise my suspicion. Also the spout seems a little too clean. But hey, if the clay is natural and you're happy with it that's all that matters

[Mark-S]

@Chadrinkincat
I have got many pots from the late 70s to early 80s, and even if I find a pot from this era on eBay I cannot say for sure that this is the same clay. Didn't know that there are so many experts on early F1 clay on eBay searching for pots. That seems to take a lot of practice and much money. I did not even see a single one from the 50-60s in person.

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I did not have the guts to make the smell test with boiling water before preparing the pot. With hot water it smelled neutral.

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@pantry
Thank you I think it's very hard to see on photos if it's a genuine F1 teapot or not. Even if they were wrong, it's still better to get more than one opinion. It's also possible that the teapot is genuine and the cups and plate are not. Very difficult to say...

Regarding the lid fit... I heared that these sets were made more carefully than the other pots. Don't know If that's true though. Unfortunately, I could not check my other set because of the corona virus (it's at my parents home).

[Bok]

Chadrinkincat
I have got many pots from the late 70s to early 80s, and even if I find a pot from this era on eBay I cannot say for sure that this is the same clay. Didn't know that there are so many experts on early F1 clay on eBay searching for pots. That seems to take a lot of practice and much money. I did not even see a single one from the 50-60s in person.

-

I did not have the guts to make the smell test with boiling water before preparing the pot. With hot water it smelled neutral.

-

pantry
Thank you I think it's very hard to see on photos if it's a genuine F1 teapot or not. Even if they were wrong, it's still better to get more than one opinion. It's also possible that the teapot is genuine and the cups and plate are not. Very difficult to say...

You can trust the Facebook group with the final verdict, they won’t get it wrong, what they say is the closest to a final verdict you will ever get.

And you won’t see any 50-60 pots on eBay that is very very rare... and the details are so minute you will probably miss it as a beginner

The set above might just be overpriced. Many eBay sellers get the era totally wrong and think it’s worth more than it is... the countless “Qing” pots on eBay are living proof.

Also be careful to take your own collection as comparison, you’re still at the beginning stage and some might not be what you think they are, so as a benchmark they might lead you down the wrong path...

[Chadrinkincat]

Chadrinkincat
I have got many pots from the late 70s to early 80s, and even if I find a pot from this era on eBay I cannot say for sure that this is the same clay. Didn't know that there are so many experts on early F1 clay on eBay searching for pots. That seems to take a lot of practice and much money. I did not even see a single one from the 50-60s in person.

-

I did not have the guts to make the smell test with boiling water before preparing the pot. With hot water it smelled neutral.

-

pantry
Thank you I think it's very hard to see on photos if it's a genuine F1 teapot or not. Even if they were wrong, it's still better to get more than one opinion. It's also possible that the teapot is genuine and the cups and plate are not. Very difficult to say...

Regarding the lid fit... I heared that these sets were made more carefully than the other pots. Don't know If that's true though. Unfortunately, I could not check my other set because of the corona virus (it's at my parents home).

The ability to learn about yixing is a whole lot easier for people living in East Asia. They have access to fellow collectors, tea shops, books etc.

The learning curve will be a lot steeper for anyone that isn’t a native Chinese speaker and lives in a western country.

[Mark-S]

They said that the workmanship and shape (especially of the lid and the inside) would be different. Do you know why?

https://www.facebook.com/groups/teapot2 ... 0/?app=fbl

[Bok]

They said that the workmanship and shape (especially of the lid and the inside) would be different. Do you know why?

https://www.facebook.com/groups/teapot2 ... 0/?app=fbl

Because that is how they did it back then. The tools change, the methods change, etc. Superficially they might look the same but in the details they don’t.

You have to imagine that for example the handles, they had them all done at a certain length thickness etc. So when attaching only a limited amount of possibilities how the curve and thickness of the handle can look like. You should really get that book! Once you see a few dozens or hundreds of confirmed authentic pieces it becomes more obvious what’s right and what is not.

[Mark-S]

@Bok
Maybe, I really should get this book. I could have sworn that the inside of my genuine 70s pot looks the same. With the lid I really don't know, because I don't have enough of these pots to compare it to.

[Chadrinkincat]

@Mark-S

Have you compared your photos to the examples from FB of similar sized pots? This is the easiest way to spot the details that don’t look right on yours.

Nothing about your lid looks right.


I agree w/ Bok that you should just get the book. It’ll save you a lot of money on future bad purchases.

[OCTO]

Is this a F1 set? Why do they spend so much money (about $1400) for this set? I found a similar F1 teapot twice for about $200 on eBay. Is it because it's a complete set? But other F1 sets are not that expensive.

Based on the photos on the site and description given, it's a 50s papaya set and it's a COMPLETE set, which is rare. I will happily part with $1400 for this set. The price is pretty decent for a complete set from the 50s. My only concern is, I have reservations about buying such pots online. I will prefer to hold them in my hands and assess them or have a trusted buyer do it on my behalf before I add another dent to my pocket.

On why the same pot is found for $200? The sad fact is, we often find mediocre and low grade teapots on eBay. At this price range, there's always something that's not right. Though the design and shape may look the same, details such as clay quality, workmanship, stroke and attention to details are totally different. Even amongst F1 pots, you will find lemons. A lot more Lemons online than sweet Oranges... hahaha.... Even a black label Sunkist cost differently from a blue label Sunkist. Same farm, same soil, same source...

Cheers!!