Making a Yixing Zisha teapot is not easy; making a traditional handcrafted Zisha teapot is even harder. Due to the unique nature of Zisha clay, artisans must create each teapot by hand. It can take a few days or up to dozens of days to complete just one piece. The hard work and dedication poured into it cannot be summed up in just a few words. Take a look at how a pure Zisha teapot is born, and you will understand the hardship behind it!
1. Da (Beating clay slices, beating clay strips, beating the body cylinder)
The first step in making a teapot is processing the clay and beating the clay slices, strips, and body cylinder. The prepared clay for the body, bottom, and lid is beaten with a wooden tool called a "Da Zi" to achieve the required thickness and diameter. Beating the slices is called "Da Pei Zi"; the number of beats determines the thickness. Beating the strips requires a consistent thickness from the middle to the ends. This basic skill takes beginners three months to learn, requiring patience and a hardworking spirit. Masters can tell the progress just by listening to the sound of the wood.
2. Wei (Surrounding the body cylinder, surrounding the lid opening)
Once the clay strips are ready, prepare the bottom slice, place it on the turntable, and surround it with the clay strip to seal the joint. "Wei" determines the final diameter of the teapot. Then, beat the body cylinder, close the bottom, attach the bottom slice, close the mouth, and attach the lid slice. At this point, the basic outline of the teapot is complete.
3. Gan (Shaping the body cylinder)
After the outline is complete, use a wooden paddle to shape the body into the accurate desired form. Traditionally, cypress or jujube wood is used for paddles, though rosewood is also used recently. Cypress is the best for shaping the body cylinder, followed by jujube, as the thickness, size, density, and weight of the wood all matter.
4. Bi (Smoothing the body cylinder and lid)
The tool used for smoothing is called a "Bi Zi", made of bamboo with an arc shape created by oblique saws and files. The teapot is placed on a turntable and smoothed clockwise with the Bi Zi to make the surface smooth and regular. Achieving the required lines takes skill; a single teapot may require several Bi Zis depending on the artisan's understanding of the shape. Master artisans accumulate hundreds of Bi Zis over decades of handmaking teapots.
5. Shang (Attaching the spout, handle, and lid opening)
Attaching the neck to the body is called "Shang Da Zi". Attaching the foot ring to the body is called "Shang Jiao Da". Attaching the lid to the opening is called "Shang Zi Kou".
6. Fu (Reapplying clay)
After attaching the parts, if the transition is a curved arc rather than a sharp corner, clay needs to be reapplied. Let it dry before moving to the next step.
7. Le (Carving the transitions)
Tools made of bamboo, ox horn, or wood are used to carve away excess clay. Artisans use "Le Zi" to create smooth弧形 transitions between the spout/handle and the body. This requires a keen eye to judge the size of the Le Zi and express the beauty of a harmonious shape.
8. Qing (Cleaning the lines)
After attaching the parts, the mouth line needs to be cleaned. The tools (Xian Gang) are made of bamboo, ox horn, iron, or copper. The standard process uses bamboo first to clean the rough line, followed by ox horn, iron, or copper to create fine lines. This is a crucial step requiring extreme care, patience, and precision.
9. Cuo (Kneading the spout and handle)
Using prepared clay, knead the rough shape of the spout by hand. Control the thickness and length using palm techniques, then bend the shape. Experienced artisans can get the spout right in one go, ensuring it harmonizes beautifully with the teapot body.
10. Tong (Piercing the spout)
After kneading the spout, insert an iron pointed knife into the center of the spout clay. Hold the knife with both hands and twist it on the clay bench to apply pressure inside and out, forming the inner hole of the spout. Then, pinch it with fingers to create the required arc and set it aside.
11. Zhuang (Installing the spout and handle)
In the local Yixing dialect, this step is called "Zhuang". It involves installing the prepared spout and handle onto the body of the teapot.
12. Zhuo (Carving/Refining the spout and handle)
After installing the spout and handle, use a bamboo pointed knife first, followed by an iron pointed knife, to add clay to the joints and carve them so the connection is smooth and stretched. This is a vital step that reflects the teapot's quality and spirit, requiring the artisan's full attention and skill.
13. Juan (Rolling the foot ring)
Use an iron pointed knife to shape the transitional curves and edges where the handle, spout, and body connect, as well as where the knob and lid top connect. The requirement is to make these transitions clean and neat.
14. Xu (Shaping the lid dome)
After the lid base is prepared, place the clay slice on a special mold called a "Xu Tuo". Gently shape the arch of the lid using the edge of your palm.
15. Tong (Shaping the lid head)
Place the shaped lid dome onto the lid base and secure it with fat clay. Then, use a bamboo tool called a "Gai Tou Bi Zi" to shape the desired outline of the teapot lid.
16. Wan (Smoothing the lid and pot bottom)
Turn the lid upside down; the inside must also be regular and smooth. Unlike porcelain, which is glazed, Zisha ware requires tight surfaces inside and out. A special tool called a "Wan Gai Shi" is used (made of a 2-3mm ox horn slice or Zisha clay) to create the needed弧度. Place it on the turntable to clean and smooth the inside. The same applies to the false bottom.
17. Nian (Pinching the knob)
Use a bamboo tube about 1cm in diameter with shaped edges. Draw it back and forth over the knob blank to pinch out the desired teapot knob (known as "Nian De Zi"). Compared to knobs turned on a lathe, pinched knobs appear much more vivid and full of spirit.
18. Tui Qiang Gua Di (Pushing the wall and scraping the bottom)
This is a term for the internal finishing of the teapot body. After the exterior is smoothed, use a bamboo tool to push and scrape the inner walls and bottom clockwise to create neat, smooth marks. This tightens the inner mud seams, fills any small gaps, and ensures old tea leaves can be poured out easily during brewing and maintenance. It is a standard requirement for inspecting a quality teapot.
19. Guang (Polishing with the Ming Zhen)
Make thin slices of ox horn into tools with square, diagonal, and varying thicknesses, called "Ming Zhen" by Yixing artisans. Dip one end in water before use. When polishing the teapot, the two fingers of the right hand can bend to any弧度 needed for the body, applying pressure. The same applies to polishing the spout and handle. The Ming Zhen is used to修饰 the teapot to the artisan's requirements, bringing out the final spirit and charm of the work.
20. Qiao (Stamping the bottom seal)
After the teapot is finished, the artisan's name and seal must be left on the bottom. Stamping on the raw clay body is not allowed when it is too soft or too hard. It must be stamped when the clay is perfectly dry. Artisans judge the hardness by touching the bottom. Turn the teapot upside down (mouth facing down) with a support pillar inside. Evenly tap the seal on the bottom with a small wooden mallet until the impression is clear and upright. Then, let it dry and fire it.
After reading through these steps, one can truly sigh at how difficult it is to make Zisha ware. The fact that Zisha teapots have been passed down to this day is entirely due to the hard work and sweat of generations of teapot artisans. We should also cherish every Zisha work in our hands. It is not only the inheritance of the artisan's spirit but also the heritage of Chinese craftsmanship!
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