A high-quality purple clay teapot needs to achieve both form and spirit. "Form" refers to the shape of the teapot, while "spirit" refers to the charm and essence of the purple clay teapot. While the spirit is certainly important, one should not overlook the shape when selecting a teapot. Artisans make variations based on basic teapot shapes to express different artistic concepts and spirits through various designs.
Flower goods / Bionic Vessels
Flower goods, also known as "bionic vessels," are made by imitating the forms of various plants and animals. The shapes of flower goods can be categorized into three types. The first type is primarily themed around imitating plant forms, such as plum tree stumps, pine segments, and bamboo joint pots. The second type is based on imitating fruits, like pumpkin pots and Buddha's hand pots. The third type imitates animal shapes, such as frog pots and squirrel grapes. Additionally, some purple clay pots with relief decorations are also classified as flower goods.
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Bare goods
"Guanghuo" refers to teapots with a smooth surface and geometric shapes made of purple clay. Traditional Guanghuo designs include the Xishi pot, antique-style pot, stone melon pot, and monk's hat pot. These types of purple clay teapots emphasize the full integration of points, lines, and surfaces, as well as variations in flat shapes. During production, the surface of the teapot must be polished to be flat and smooth, creating the rustic and simple characteristics of Guanghuo purple clay teapots.
According to the geometric shapes of the teapots, Guanghuo can be divided into two categories: round and square. The contours of some round teapots, such as the stone melon pot, are composed of various curves, so greater attention is paid to the appropriateness of proportions, the smoothness of transitions, and the symmetry of the teapot shape. In contrast, the contours of square teapots focus on the sharp lines formed by the intersection of flat surfaces, emphasizing clear lines and showcasing a masculine beauty in the angles.
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Ribbed goods
The inspiration for creating ribbed goods comes from nature, incorporating elements such as melon ribs, flower petals, and cloud water patterns into the shape of the teapot. The characteristics of this type of purple clay teapot lie in its lines and textures, emphasizing whether the muscle bag structure is neat and coordinated, as well as the smoothness of the lines of the teapot's mouth, body, handle, and spout, reflecting the exquisite and orderly aesthetics of purple clay teapots.
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These three types of purple clay teapots each have different beauties, allowing you to feel the power of nature, the charm of life, and the charm of art.
Suggested reading: [Zisha Teapot Myths Explained] Is fully handmade better? Is semi-handmade worse?
More purple clay teapots: ALL ZISHA TEAPOT
