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Exhibition
of Tang Yun's collection of teapots
by Chen Mengsheng
Tang Yun is a famous Chinese painter, collector and connoisseur
of the contemporary. Born in Hangzhou in 1910, Tang is
also named Xiachen, alias Dongyuan, Luyao, and Yaoweng,
Dashiweng in his late years. Tang has very outgoing character
and specialises in flower and bird, landscape, figure
painting as well as poem, calligraphy and seal carving.
Besides, he was interested in collecting seal, painting,
calligraphy, wood print book, ink and teapot, his collections
of teapots by Chen Mansheng is so well known that he named
his studio as "Bahu zhenshe"(Studio of eight
teapots).
Mansheng's teapots are produced in Yixing, Jiangsu province.
According to historical records, Yixing has been famous
for the production of purple clay ware teapot since Northern
Song Dynasty and became very popular during the Ming Dynasty.
Purple clay ware teapot is made from purple clay, red
clay and tunshan clay found in Yixing region, it is delicate
and hard in nature, but is also able to have air penetration
at the same time. The aroma of the tea can be stored in
purple clay ware teapot, and will then be absorbed by
the clay. As the purple clay ware is fairly heat insulated,
it's good for tea drinking both in winter and summer.
The most attractive thing about this kind of ware is that
it looks shiny through time, sometimes it can release
a kind of aroma when it is just filled with hot water
but without any tea. This is the reason why purple clay
ware is regarded as invaluable object by most collectors.
Mansheng's teapot is the best amongst all teapots. A native
of Qiantangjiang of Zhejiang prvince, Chen Mansheng (1768-1822),
also named Chen Hongshou, is one of the members of the
"Eight masters of Xiling". When Chen serves
as a high official at Yixing, he met Yang Pengnian and
his sister who were skillful teapot craftsmen of the place.
Chen then learned how to make teapot from the Yangs, he
created 18 types of teapots, each with an inscription
designed together by famous contemporary painters and
himself. These teapots were manufactured by the Yangs
finally. Since Chen is good at seal carving, painting
and calligraphy, the teapots he produced are very simple
and elegant and are welcomed by collectors.
Although Chen had produced more than thousands of teapots,
his extant works are very limited in number nowadays.
Tang Yun has collected eight teapots by Chen and that
shows how he is deeply interested in Chen's works.
The
eight teapots by Chen Mansheng listed above will be reproduced
into 100 sets by the Yixing Purple Clay Ware Factory.
Please note that on-line subscription for this reproduction
is only available at this website.
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