Wang Yuanyuan

    cheekywang@hotmail.com

    MORE than 110 Chinese dark-red enameled pots (also called purple-sand teapots) are being exhibited at Shenzhen Economic Daily Building in Futian District.

    The teapots include collections made by famous potters such as Li Maolin who worked during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), Chen Mingyuan and Yang Pengnian who worked during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and Gu Jingzhou (1915-1996) who was a master in the field in the 20th century, said Huang Zhi, a renowned pottery collector.

    Dark-red enameled teapots are an important part of Chinese culture and are particularly popular with the rich and educated.

    The most original and traditional dark-red enameled pottery is from Yixing in Jiangsu Province, an area which produces the best purple sand — the raw material of the pots. The purple sand is dug up and skillfully processed. After the raw purple sand becomes “ripe” enough, the craftsmen use their nimble fingers to mould the dark-red enameled pottery.

    Unlike teapots made with other materials, the pots can keep the original flavor of the tea leaves.

    The body of dark-red enameled pottery has many air holes, which will absorb the tea’s “vitality,” so if you pour boiling water into such a pot which has been used for a while, a faint tea aroma will waft up even though no tea has been put into it.

    The pottery has another characteristic — the longer it is used, the smoother and brighter it will be because of years of being touched and cleaned.

    For many tea lovers, this pottery is both a tool to make tea and a sign of good taste.

    There are many types of dark-red enameled teapots, including “guang huo,” (glaze pot) “hua huo,” (flower pot) and “jinnang huo” (plant-shaped pot).

    “Guang huo” often has glazed surface, while special designs are introduced when making “hua huo.” “Jinnang huo” often refers to pots with different shapes, such as pumpkin and chrysanthemum.

    Most of the pots at this exhibition are “hua huo,” but there also several “jinnang pots,” including a pumpkin-shaped pot made by Chen and a watermelon-shaped pot by Jiang.

    Among all the exhibits, a pot made by Gu is the most expensive one. Gu, a famous dark-red enameled pottery master, got married when he was in his 50s, but his wife got cancer about 10 years later. He took his wife for treatment in Shanghai, but doctors did not give her much chance. He made the pot to express his sadness. Gu was famous during his lifetime but most of his works have been lost, so this pot is expected to be worth more than 10 million yuan (US$1.6 million), said Huang.

    The exhibition will close Jan. 27, and Huang, president of cangci.cn, will give a lecture on dark-red enameled pottery collection.

    Dates: Until Jan. 27

    Time: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

    Add: 4/F, Shenzhen Economic Daily Building, Shangbao Road, Futian District (福田区商报路商报大厦四楼)

    Metro: Shekou Line, Jingtian Station (景田站), Exit B