Ge Ye
Gold Splashed Shui Ping (130ml) Xiao Mei Yao Zhu Ni Yixing Teapot
Gold Splashed Shui Ping (130ml) Xiao Mei Yao Zhu Ni Yixing Teapot
小煤窑朱泥洒金水平壶
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Specifications
Specifications
Origin: Dingshu Town, Yixing, Jiangsu Province, China
Artist: Ge Ye
Material: Xiao Mei Yao Zhu Ni
Technique: Half-Handmade (Mold-Assisted Shaping, Hand-Finished Details)
Firing: Gas-fired
Filter: 7 holes with inner push ball
Volume: 130 ml
Crafted in Dingshu Town, Yixing, this 130ml teapot represents the classic Shui Ping (水平) form, a design refined in the late Qing dynasty for the Gongfu tea tradition. The teapot’s name, Shui Ping (level balance), refers to its defining functional characteristic: when placed in hot water to warm, a well-made Shui Ping floats perfectly upright without tilting. This equilibrium is achieved through exacting craftsmanship, ensuring the spout and handle are formed from equal clay weight.
The teapot is crafted from Xiao Mei Yao Zhu Ni (小煤窑朱泥), an iron-rich Zhu Ni clay sourced from Huang Long Shan that yields a lustrous surface after firing. Fired at approximately 1100°C, the finished clay is dense, resonant when tapped, and offers excellent heat retention with moderate porosity, ideal for developing tea aroma for oolong, black tea and shou puerh.
Decoration: The Gold Splashed Technique
This teapot features the gold splashed (洒金) decoration. After the initial firing, 24k gold is suspended in a plant-based adhesive and applied by hand. A second, lower-temperature firing permanently fuses the gold to the clay surface. The result is a random, textured scatter of gold that integrates into the clay’s pores, creating a luminous and speckled contrast.
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