In China, a great number of tea lovers are very particular about both tea and tea ware. Naturally, some of them are very keen on purple clay teapots, which they say are the best for brewing tea. One purple clay teapot collector named Liu Tianbao can give us insight into this deep part of Chinese culture.

The Costly Lesson

As a child, Liu was greatly influenced by his father’s love of purple clay flowerpots. He was crazy about miniature gardens, so there were a lot of flower pots made of Yixing purple clay in their home. Liu learned the special qualities of purple clay from his father.

Over 30 years ago, there were several curio markets in China’s capitol city. Following his father’s footsteps, Liu started to shop around at places where various folk arts and crafts were sold, looking for valuable purple play.

It was in one of these markets that Liu made a big mistake that he would remember for the rest of his life. In southeastern Beijing lies the well-known Panjiayuan Secondhand Antique Market. A lot of dealers go there before daybreak to prepare their wares. One day, Liu bought 50 secondhand purple clay teapots. He quickly brought them home and soaked them in water, and he was almost brought to tears. The handles and spouts of each and every teapot dropped off one after another. He realized the he had been cheated, and bought nothing more than broken pots.

Destiny’s Pot

Liu strove to never be duped again. In 1986, he took a shine to a teapot at an antique market in Tianjin. He wanted it for his own collection, but as the price was too high, he gave up. Ten years later, however, he met the teapot again by chance at an antique market in Beijing. There and then he bought it without hesitation.

Based on his research, the creator of this purple clay teapot was Pei Shimin, one of the most distinguished master potters of the Qing dynasty. The teapot was covered with a layer of yellow glaze. Only a master at could complete such a design at that time, as it required the pot to be placed in a kiln at very high temperatures, not once, but twice. At present, you can only find this type of purple clay teapot at the Forbidden City in Beijing.

Broken Bones Instead of Broken Pots

Liu treasures his purple clay teapots to the uttermost, for he knows their intrinsic worth. One day he purchased a rare purple clay teapot from the late Qing dynasty. He felt very glad. He put the pot into his backpack with great care, and then rode away on his bike. On the way, he kept singing his favorite songs.

But unexpectedly, in order to avoid hitting an old man, he rolled and fell off his bike. At that moment, he held the teapot tightly in his arms, and let his hipbone smash into the ground first. Consequently, he was confined to bed for one year. It became a popular story among his friends: Liu would rather break his bone than to break his purple clay teapot!

Over the past 30 years, Liu has been addicted to collecting Yixing purple clay teapots. His face lights up as if he was talking about a family member whenever someone mentions his pots. He seldom makes a mistake now, and as a matter of fact, he has developed a very good eye for purple clay teapots.

Liu says that each of his purple clay teapots contains its maker’s originality, craftsmanship, and aesthetic standard. And as far as Liu is concerned, the teapots he collected prove his strong and unique vision.

The Chinese have a secret that lets them fully enjoy their fragrant, healthy tea – they brew it with purple clay teapots. And you know what? These teapots really have qualities that set them apart from the pack. So today I’ll share some secrets as to why tea drinkers have come to adore a strange thing called purple clay.

There is only one place that this clay can be found: Yixing, China. Actually, there are three main colors of this so-called purple clay: red clay, green clay, and purple clay. Because the clay contains a high number of natural minerals, it can display a full range of colors after firing. And its internal structure is quite interesting too – a double layer of porous, sandy particles that give it an extra kick.

Chinese tea lovers are very keen on Yixing purple clay teapots. On one hand, they are gracefully designed in a multitude of shapes and styles suitable for decorations and collections; and on the other hand, brewing tea with a purple clay teapot has many unique advantages that can make your tea time a great pleasure.

1. Purple clay teapots let your tea utterly show off its intrinsic characteristics in color, scent, and savor. From Chinese emperors to ordinary people, they all know a purple clay teapot is the best match to their tea. Make the best use of things, and let your tea has nothing to hide from you.

I love green tea, so I bought a green-colored purple clay teapot several years ago. Then I hurried back to my home, and brewed my favorite tea leaves with the pot. When I took a sip, the soup tasted much better than I used to feel before. I wondered: ‘Is it the same tea?’ Then I suddenly saw the light: I finally know my tea thanks to this purple clay teapot!

2. Tea soup in purple clay teapots refuses to turn sour for the longest time. The numerous invisible pores of a purple clay teapot allow fresh air to seep in. Strong or bland, the tea will always be pure with no peculiar smell and taste. A sweltering weather makes no difference as well.

If you have something urgent to deal with in the morning after brewing tea, go for it! The tea soup in the pot will stay fresh and be considerate enough to wait for you at the end of the day.

3. A purple clay teapot can change slightly as you make tea with it, because of how absorbent it is. It takes in tea aromas and tastes, and then lets them off in the next infusion. The flavor gradually grows and you can always expect for a better brew of tea each time.

Also, the longer a purple clay teapot is used, the more lustrous and beautiful it becomes. That’s because the tea inside moistens and lubricates the pot. Also, every time a purple clay teapot is touched, it absorbs some of the oils from your hands and becomes more lustrous.

Lastly, the color of a purple clay teapot will change slightly according to what kind of tea you brew. Watching the slow change of color is quite interesting.

If you are interested in the last two advantages of purple clay tea ware, just click over to my site to read more:

China is famous for its tea and tea sets, especially unique Yixing purple clay teapots. Some Chinese tea lovers see collecting purple clay teapots as a great pleasure. Mr. Liu Tianbao has evolved from an amateur teapot buyer to a master purple clay teapot collector.

Tricked in Beijing

Liu started collecting purple clay teapots because of his contact with flowerpots. When he was a child, his father had a great taste for miniature landscapes and owned a number of purple clay flowerpots. Liu was unconsciously influenced by what he saw and heard, and gradually took up collecting purple clay.

Over 30 years ago, there were several curio markets in China’s capitol city. Following his father’s footsteps, Liu started to shop around at places where various folk arts and crafts were sold, looking for valuable purple play.

It was in one of these markets that Liu made a big mistake that he would remember for the rest of his life. In southeastern Beijing lies the well-known Panjiayuan Secondhand Antique Market. A lot of dealers go there before daybreak to prepare their wares. One day, Liu bought 50 secondhand purple clay teapots. He quickly brought them home and soaked them in water, and he was almost brought to tears. The handles and spouts of each and every teapot dropped off one after another. He realized the he had been cheated, and bought nothing more than broken pots.

An (Almost) Lost Love

Many years later, a purple clay teapot caught his eye at a curio market in Tianjin. He wanted to buy it, but he couldn’t afford it. He had to let it go. But 10 years later, he miraculously came across the very same teapot once again at a secondhand curio market in Beijing. This time he caught the opportunity and purchased it straight away.

Based on his research, the creator of this purple clay teapot was Pei Shimin, one of the most distinguished master potters of the Qing dynasty. The teapot was covered with a layer of yellow glaze. Only a master at could complete such a design at that time, as it required the pot to be placed in a kiln at very high temperatures, not once, but twice. At present, you can only find this type of purple clay teapot at the Forbidden City in Beijing.

A Pot is Like a Son

Liu treasures his purple clay teapots to the uttermost, for he knows their intrinsic worth. One day he purchased a rare purple clay teapot from the late Qing dynasty. He felt very glad. He put the pot into his backpack with great care, and then rode away on his bike. On the way, he kept singing his favorite songs.

But all of sudden, an old man walked in front of Liu. To prevent from bumping into the old man, Liu rolled down and off his bicycle. In the blink of an eye, he gripped his teapot fast, and let his hipbone, instead of the teapot, hit the ground first. As a result, a hipbone fracture laid him up for twelve months. Whenever his friends referred to his incident, they would gasp in admiration at how Liu loves his purple clay teapots much more than his bones.

Over the past 30 years, Liu has been addicted to collecting Yixing purple clay teapots. His face lights up as if he was talking about a family member whenever someone mentions his pots. He seldom makes a mistake now, and as a matter of fact, he has developed a very good eye for purple clay teapots.

Liu believes that a purple clay master blends his life, inspiration, and pursuit in his work. To Liu, each purple clay teapot or even each grain of purple clay represents good taste and knowledge.

Who was the first person that discovered the distinctive purple clay ideal for making teapots? How deep do purple clay teapot collectors love their treasures? There are many interesting Chinese legends and folklore that aim to answer these questions.

Who found purple clay first?

Long, long ago, in southeast China’s small town named Yixing, the locals were enjoying the tranquility of the country life.

But one day, a strange monk showed up at the town. He shouted while walking, “Clay makes you rich! Clay makes you rich!” The villagers looked at the monk curiously. The monk saw the confusion in the villagers’ eyes, so he shouted again, “You can be rich if you are not royal family members!” Hearing these words, the villagers grew more bewildered, and gazed at the monk moving about. Soon the monk raised his voice, and set off in quicker paces.

One sly villager decided to find out the hidden meaning, and went after the monk. In a short while, they were at a nearby mountain. However, the monk was gone. The man tried to find the monk once more, but failed. Instead, he only found several freshly-dug caves. He cautiously came up to the mouth of one cave and looked inside. To his surprise, the caves were full of colored clay.

Now the old man understood what the monk had said, so he brought some of the clay out of the cave. He tried to make some pottery. After firing, the pottery gave him a big surprise. They were in purple, yellow, and green. “Oh, I have never seen pottery with these colors,” the old man murmured. Then he showed the pottery to his friends. They were pleasantly surprised, and called the material ‘purple clay.’

A pauper with his only purple clay teapot

Several hundred years ago, a wealthy man liked drinking tea very much. He would make friends with tea lovers. Regardless of whether they were rich or poor, anyone who paid a visit would be well-received with tea.

Once, a ragged panhandler wandered over to the man’s house. He asked for a cup of tea, rather than food. With no prejudice, a butler ushered the panhandler in, and poured a cup of tea for him. The panhandler caught a glimpse of the tea, and then surprisingly commented, “The tea leaves are not good enough.”

The servant realized that the beggar knew something about tea, so he promptly changed it to another kind of leaves. The beggar smelled it, and said, “This tea is good, but the water is not good. Only spring water from the mountains is suitable.”

“He must be no ordinary pauper,” the servant thought, and then he immediately made another cup of tea with the mountain water kept in the residence. After taking a sip, the pauper made his comment again, “This water is ok, but the firewood is not the best. You know, the firewood from the mountainside facing the sun is too soft, but wood on the other side is usually good.” The servant marveled at the pauper’s words, so he promptly brewed tea once again using the good firewood, and asked the rich man to come out and meet the strange pauper.

When the tea was ready, the rich man and the beggar drank a cup of it together. Then the beggar remarked, “Well, this time the tea leaves, water, firewood and fire are good, but the pot is not good.” “This is the best pot I have,” the rich man replied.

The panhandler then reached and pulled out a dainty purple clay teapot featuring soft and inviting luster. “Try again with this one,” he said with a smile. This time the tea tasted so good that no one could say no to it. Realizing the true value of this pot, the landlord made a prompt decision: He offered to purchase the teapot from the panhandler on the spot.

The pauper rapidly set the pot in his bosom again, and was about to depart. The rich man bade right way, “I want to buy your teapot at the cost of half of my property.” After receiving no response, the rich man raised his offer, “No, all of my property!” Ultimately, the pauper responded with a smile, “I was once as rich as you, but I would rather become as poor as a church mouse than sell of this pot.”

A purple clay teapot more valuable than life?

Once in China, a local administrator cared for purple clay teapots more than anything else. In his collection, he especially cherished an outstanding pot made by the most prominent potter at that time.

But one day a poor servant girl broke the teapot by accident when serving tea. The magistrate got so angry that he registered a claim for the girl’s life.

As this incident reached the potter’s ears, he resolved to save the maidservant and teach the administrator a lesson. He ran to the administrator’s dwelling with ten choice purple clay teapots he crafted hanging on his carrying pole. He offered, “Choose one of my most precious teapots, and set the maidservant free.”

The magistrate was very glad to hear that. He selected a purple clay teapot that he liked best, and then set the poor girl free.

After that, however, the magistrate said, “Could you sell the other teapots to me as well?” The master potter didn’t reply, but with a sweep of his shoulder pole broke all the remaining pots into pieces.

The magistrate was stupefied, and felt deeply regretful. He asked why the master potter would rather break the pots than sell them to him. The potter answered, “I broke them and they don’t have to be reimbursed by anybody’s life. But if they are broken in your home, who knows how many people will have to die!