20th Century Red Clay Late Republic Pan (潘壺)

This piece is part of the early Yixing series we will continue to be offering, mainly consisting of early to mid-20th century pieces which are made with superb quality clay compared to modern day standards. We hope that this series will give tea lovers an opportunity to learn about and appreciate the beauty of Yixing clay. These pieces will show you why and how Yixing material has been able to capture the heart of teapot lovers for hundreds of years, and will give you first hand experience with the unique texture that Yixing clay could offer before our present era. 

A typical "Pan Hu" teapot will feature a round, curved spout instead of the leveled flat one we are seeing here. This beautiful teapot was paying a tribute to the famous "Pan Hu," considered some of the best teapots innovated in the early 19th century. The character "Pan" (潘) is the last name of a renowned salt merchant from Guangzhou— "Pan, Shi-Cheng" (潘仕成). Besides being one of the richest men of his time, he was also known for his collection of antiques and art pieces. Under his aesthetic standards and knowledge, a new breed of teapot was born called "Pan Hu," which means "Pan teapots." Mr. Pan was also a philanthropist of his time, making this breed of teapot a timeless classic to all teapot lovers.

This piece of course is not an original "Pan Hu" made in that era, nor is it trying to fool people into believing it is one. Nevertheless, this teapot not only captured the curvature of how a “Pan Hu” should feel like, but most importantly it was made with a Zisha clay rarely seen in the modern market. What you are seeing here is "Republic Red Clay" (minguo hongni 民國紅泥), a refined "Red Clay" breed that was beloved by connoisseurs of Yixing teapots and was popularly used in the Republican Era (early 20th century). 

Red Clay is like the middle ground between Zisha and Zhuni clays, offering a clear note for tea while not sharpening it too much. Also, like any Yixing teapot that holds the integrity of Yixing essence, the texture and color of this clay will have subtle yet visible shifts when it is heated or when viewed under different light conditions, making it a fascinating companion for the tea table at night.  

A miniature teapot like this is quite rare since crafting it is much more difficult, and most importantly a smaller teapot was often seen as less desirable by end users, resulting in a cheaper valuation at the time. However, the advanatage of this kind of mini beauty is its convenience in making a great cup of tea easier while saving precious tea for the next round. We hope you will be satisfied with the convenience that this little beauty can bring, and may the tea be with you.

Mineral: Republic Era Red Clay (With a bit of Zhu Ni) / 民國紅泥 (石黃調配)

Mineral Location: Pan Huang Long Mountain Mine / 泛黃龍山礦脈

Firing Temperature: 1120 c / 仟壹佰貳拾 攝氏

Contrast Rate: 14% / 分之 拾肆

Bottom Stamp: Pan, Shih-Cheng Made /  潘仕成製

Volume: 60 ml / 陸拾 毫升