Understanding The Significance of Yixing Teapots as a Ceramics Assignment

I chose Yixing teapots for my historical reference ceramics project. Yixing teapots were originated in the Song Dynasty, 10th century. Yixing teapots were made from Zisha clay. These teapots were popular in high class communities. They were used for mostly black and oolong teas and they would absorb small amounts of the teas into the pot. After prolonged use, this would create a coating around the inside of the pot and help retain the color and flavor of the tea. The tea would only be seeped in the pot for a few seconds before being served. This is because the Yixing teapots are generally smaller. Considering that the teapots were not to be washed and they should only be rinsed with fresh water, due to the coat on the inside, the first amount of tea, brewed would not be consumed because it was used to clean the teapot. Yixing teapots were sculptural teapots as well. They often had designs or sculptures on them. These designs often portrayed pleasing shapes or the world of nature. Many of the teapots have repeating designs, while others are completely unique. Yixing teapots are still, to this day, very popular and prized.

Another ceramic artist that has created contemporary re-interpretations of Yixing teapots is named Richard Notkin. Most of Notkin’s teapots were created between 1983 and 1955. He has won many awards for them including National Endowment for the Arts Visual Arts Fellowships in 1981 and 1988, the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award in 1991 and a Jerry Metcalf Foundation Artist Fellowship in 1999. “In addition, the teapot is a universally recognized object, with strong associations to domesticity and tranquility. As such, it is a ‘hook’ to lure the viewer — who must then decipher the narrative imagery — in a sort of bait-and-switch fashion. The conveying of tea is secondary to the not-so-hidden message in my ‘teapots’.” Notkin stated in his interview with Ceramics Today. Notkin was very influential with choosing the historical piece I was going to re-create for this project. His work sparked a few ideas in my head and I really enjoyed how passionate he was over his art work.

I was drawn to the Yixing teapots because when I was in highschool taking ceramics, I was obsessed with making teapots. I wanted to make my teapots unique and beautiful. Everyday in class, I would throw a teapot on the wheel. It was the one thing that I couldn’t get enough of. The fact that yixing teapots absorb amounts of the tea into the pot and create a coating, fascinated me. Also, the fact that they and designs and sculptures on them. I believe that these teapots were either constructed by wheel throwing or coil building. I believe this because many of them were perfectly symmetrical, but others were a little bumpy looking.

I plan to recreate a Yixing teapot and create in more contemporary. My idea is to coil build a round teapot, using stoneware. Sadly, Zisha clay is not available for me to make a true Yixing teapot. Once the shape of the teapot is complete, I plan to add to the teapot, and portray the bottom piece as an elephant. The trunk will be the spout and there will be two handles on the sides of the teapot to create the ears. It will have two tusks, however, one is missing. The elephant will have its mouth open and look in pain. For the lid of the teapot, it would just be a slab with a coil around the bottom so it can fit into the opening of the base. I plan to create the handle of the lid a figure of a man holding the elephants missing tusk. In the final piece, it will look like the man holding the tusk is standing on top of the elephants head.

I believe that this is contemporary because not only has the poaching of elephants for their tusks- also known as the Ivory Trade- been going on for a very long time, but in 1978, the African Elephant was put on the endangered species list. The Ivory Trade is a very concerning issue in today's society and many companies have created clothes or jewelry with elephants on them, and a certain amount of money they make off of their products, gets donated to help stop the Ivory Trade. Not only do I believe that this a contemporary issue, but also I believe strongly in this topic. I wanted to create this teapot, in the style of a Yixing teapot to create awareness about the subject and help influence more people to put a stop to the Ivory Trade.

I’m extremely excited to start working on my Yixing-like teapot. Even though it won’t be able to create a coating on the inside of the pot, I am definitely going to enjoy this project and am looking forward to seeing the end product.