Zisha (redware)

Noble and skilled zisha teapot is a fine work for tea drinking. Tea drinking becomes a culture because of the tea set. And zisha teapot is the best and the most famous zisha pottery.

Zisha pottery originated from the middle period of the Ming Dynasty. They are plain white pottery without glaze, and most have a color of mauve and chestnut. They are only fired in Yixing of Jiangsu Province by selecting special fine and smooth reddish purple clay, which contains high amount of iron made locally. Besides teapot of different style, zisha can also be used to make tea cup, flower pot, stationery, hanging panel and pottery sculpture.

The moulds of zisha are diversified due to its plastic materials. Zisha kettles are usually made by hand. The moulds are terse geometrical shapes, some plants also included such as plum stake, bamboo joint, melon and fruit. The ornamentation and pattern of zisha first appeared in the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, most are scored with inscription and paintings. In this way, the arts of zisha kettle, poem, calligraphy, seal cutting are combined together, which make zisha kettle become elaborate works deeply loved the people.

Zisha kettle with incised poem in a shape of bamboo joint

This piece is a flat kettle in a shape of bamboo joint. The whole body was applied with bamboo joints carving and bamboo leaves design accompanied with seal character and inscription. Seven Chinese characters in four lines in the form of inscriptions on ancient bronze objects are carved in intaglio on its belly. The last part was inscribed with two Chinese characters of "Man Sheng" in regular script of raised design. Yang Pengnian, a master for making pottery in the Qing Dynasty, made the tea set, while Chen Mansheng carved poems, verses, calligraphy and painting inscribed on it. The kettle became extremely popular for a while. It has the title of "Mansheng kettle".

Zisha color enamel kettle with floral design

9cm in height, 5.8cm in caliber, the kettle presents a shape of 4-petal prism. It has short bending running and ring-shaped handle. It was covered with edge-curling water chestnut's flower design. It has pearl-shaped button. The kettle was applied with red glaze, and the body was applied with color enamel peach, rose, chrysanthemum, sunflower designs. The kettle bottom was inscribed with four Chinese characters, which means it was made in the reign of Kangxi Emperor, in Song typeface of regular script by using yellow color.

Jade kettle

The kettle is made by Yang Pengnian of the Qing Dynasty, 8.5cm high. The whole body was applied with yellow color rarely seen. The kettle belly in a shape of semi-circle was carved with a plum. The right lower part is cut in intaglio with six Chinese characters, which mean "Shumei made the kettle for Yunru". The other side of the kettle was carved in cursive handwriting with three Chinese characters, which means "Jade kettle" and a poem, "one or two jade green plums, thousands or ten thousands dots of clouds in spring. Suddenly remembered in the deep snow of Xi Stream, the sound of scull came to Chaimen. The owner of kettle inscribed for fun, in February on Bingzi Year". The kettle got the name of "han yu" from a Tang poem of "A farewell to Mr Xin Jian in the Furong Tower", which says, "Enter the Wu Kingdom in the night when the cold rain falls, Chu mountain looks lonely when I say farewell to my friend at dawn. If friends and relatives in Luoyang City ask of me, please tell them that there is one crystal-like heart in the jade kettle."

Terracotta warriors and horses of the Qin Dynasty
Tang san cai