Buying Yixing

In the past anyone who wanted an Yixing teapot had to pick up one while passing through Hong Kong, Taipei or Shanghai. Very few prized teapots ever found their way west. That has now all changed with the coming of the Internet traders who are providing access to a wider array of Yixing ware. Many people buy Yixing teapots simply for making pu'er & oolong tea, the original concept! Others are looking to make or improve a special collection, or even make a wise investment. Although it has become easier and cheaper to buy rare and unusual Yixing teapots than ever before, collecting contemporary wares isn't so straightforward. The traditional places where teapots could be found included street markets, teashops and exclusive gift stores. Places where the buyer could physically examine the piece before taking the decision to buy or not. Unless you have an Yixing dealer close by, mail order is the only alternative. And that means choosing a teapot from a catalogue picture or an on-line image. The best advice we can give is to choose your Yixing agent very carefully. Make sure they know the business well: many traders in Yixing teapots buy from catalogue items themselves! Buy original pieces only, from trusted agents that can authenticate origin and guarantee to supply valued and exclusive items. Check out the kinds of Yixing products the dealer trades and the extra services they offer for collectors, particularly their after-sales care.

Marks and chops

Unless you are collecting antiques, or pre-commercial teapots, and for sake of argument that means a piece made from the period after the Communist takeover in 1949 to about the mid 1970s, Yixing teapots are normally adorned with the Yixing & potter's stamp or mark. In the commercial era, not only the potter�fs chop may occur on the teapot but also the Yixing factory chop as well. This is done to authenticate origin. Today�fs teapots bear all such marks, usually as a square or round stamp. The teapot may also hold other marks, especially if wares have been commissioned by a specialist trader. Potters' marks & chops are usually one or two Chinese characters in size, and placed on the underside of the lid or on the teapot base (also base of handle). Teapot marks are often difficult to read, are easily faked, and by eye inspection at least, offer no real guarantee of authenticity of origin or potter.

Certification

These are the neat little documents that sometimes accompany a teapot made by well-known Yixing potters. Teapots originating from a factory workshop or a home-based potter never carry a maker's certificate. These certificates usually bear the potter's biography, a photograph of the potter at work and his/her signature. You can find them with teapots at wholesalers' shops or at the most exclusive department stores in China. Although these certificates are often used to create the impression of authenticity, they are no guarantee of such. Rather, they are very often used to hike up retail prices on what are already beautifully worked pieces. And that's the trouble with Yixing teapot art as a whole, it is easily faked by a competent potter. The inexperienced buyer beware! Collecting artisan wares like this requires knowledge of the potter's work and his studio. It's worth noting also that many contemporary Yixing potters are unheard of in the West. Their name means nothing outside China, nor does it add any value to what might be an exquisite work of art.

Price

Prices for contemporary factory-made items vary widely among Yixing teapot retailers: most are around US$50. Specialist mail-order dealers retail fashionable wares at about the US$250 mark. But better deals can be found with some on-line Yixing traders. Prices on-line (ex-carriage) range from as low as US$20 for unaccomplished wares, to US$50 for ordinary pots, and US$100 for the more collectible pieces. However, be careful because teapots that are seemingly alike may not necessarily have been made to same high standards. Exclusive pieces, perhaps collected by the agent personally, or even commissioned wares if sold, offer a good way of putting together a valuable Yixing collection. Although such teapots frequently carry a premium price tag, at US$100-US$250, they are often a guaranteed way of acquiring a special item. Artisan works are favoured by many collectors of Yixing teapots. These can, and do, fetch many thousands of US$ for individual teapots. For the very seriously minded teapot collector, there is of course the antique trade, but this is a highly specialized field, requiring in-depth knowledge of Yixing art and its history, and one that any novice collector would be well advised to beware of. If you are interested in this line of collectible Yixing be prepared to spend a great deal of money, and do it only through a reliable source.