When purchasing a purple clay teapot, it is usually accompanied by a certificate of the teapot. However, the styles of these certificates are different. Some are a small card; some are a booklet; and some are a thin piece of rice paper. What does the certificate of the purple clay teapot mean? Are simpler certificates unreliable? The following is an analysis of your questions about this certificate.
How much difference can there be in the certificates of purple clay teapots on the market?
Anyone who has purchased a purple clay teapot knows that the certificate usually attached to the teapot is in the shape of a small card, which records some basic information about the purple clay teapot. Some also include photos of the craftsman holding the work, or A piece of banknote to prove and facilitate buyers to check the authenticity; some well-known craftsmen will design the certificate together with the personal portfolio into a very beautiful booklet; there is also a very simple one, just a piece of rice paper with written Basic information on purple clay teapots. Basically, the purple clay teapot certificate is also a way to express the craftsmanship. Different craftsmen have different styles. This phenomenon is mostly related to the following reasons.
(There are many different styles of purple clay teapot certificates circulating on the market, most of which are handwritten on rice paper, small cards and booklets.)
Studio, agency management vs personal management
Most craftsmen have set up studios or have agents distribute the purple clay teapots they make. Therefore, these craftsmen also have more manpower to help build and package their own works. This also explains why some of the more famous crafts are Teachers can make relatively beautiful certificates that leave an impression on people and make them feel more reliable.
(Some craftsmen’s certificates have more exquisite designs and more detailed information.)
However, there are also some craftsmen in this industry who work as individuals, and the certificates they issue are relatively simple, which even makes people think that the credibility of the certificates is not high. The reason is that they have less manpower and resources, and it is difficult to take into account the production of purple clay pots and marketing at the same time. For them, the significance of the certificate is to prove that the purple clay teapot is made by them, rather than a way to package it themselves, so they do not focus on beautifully designed certificates, but on making better purple clay teapots.
(Some craftsmen will handwrite the certificate on rice paper. The simple design makes people question its authenticity.)
emphasis on marketing
Times have changed, and purple clay teapots are not just tea sets, but more of a valuable work of art. This has also opened up another market for purple clay teapots, even as far away as overseas. Therefore, more and more craftsmen are beginning to realize the importance of marketing, packaging their works in different ways, and improving the value of the work and the craftsmen themselves. The sophistication of the certificate is one of the key points that can package itself. In addition to recording the basic information of the purple clay pot on the certificate, some craftsmen also write down some of their personal resumes, awards they have received, or the concept of creating the purple clay pot to enrich the content of the certificate.
Many buyers who are new to purple clay teapots believe that if the teapot's certificate is rich in content and detailed, they will also believe in the quality of the purple clay teapot. In fact, this is just a marketing technique of the merchants. The certificate as a supporting package often has nothing to do with the skill of the craftsman or the quality of the pot. Over-emphasis on the sophistication of the certificate has also gradually distorted the trend of buying purple clay pots.
What certificates really do
However, many people seem to ignore the true significance of the certificate, and even put the cart before the horse. In fact, the function of the purple clay teapot certificate is just like an ID card. It mainly certifies and explains that the purple clay teapot is the work of a craftsman. The rest is not the focus. If you only judge the quality of a purple clay pot based on the exquisiteness of the certificate, this is not a consideration when buying a pot. The quality of a purple clay pot is always based on the quality, clay material, shape, carving, etc. of the pot, and these Neither can be reflected on the certificate. Of course, we cannot deny the design and detailed certificates, because buyers can learn about the purple clay pot they purchased from other information, and even other works of the craftsman.
In fact, no matter whether the purpose of purchasing a purple clay teapot is for actual use or as an ornamental art piece, you should pay attention to the teapot itself, not a paper certificate. After all, what we bought was a purple clay pot, not a certificate!
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