Rasseru said

Identifying a yixing?

I got this for a song from someone selling for a friend who was a jeweller. All the other auctions were of jewellery, and the guy was annoyed how cheap I got it.

Was claimed to be 19th century, and it looks the part – although I know dirt can be faked easily enough, but the rough style certainly looks handmade.

Nevertheless it slipped under the radar, nobody even looking at it, let alone bidding. I got it for as cheap as a new factory pot.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/FRWRDNQAvbMScov42

Thoughts, possibility of it being genuine yixing, or even as old as the claim?

15 Replies
AllanK said

while it looks old, it reminds me of some cheap, factory made pots they sell on Taobao.

Rasseru said

Ok thanks, I will see when it turns up if it fails any cleaning boiling tasting test.

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TeaLife.HK said

I wouldn’t touch that pot with a ten foot pole

Rasseru said

Haha really, even after cleaning? You’ll have to elaborate

TeaLife.HK said

It looks like the lowest grade of modern knockoff…very poorly made and heavy fake patina. Tea and age won’t make a teapot look like that alone…it would take some serious paint! LOL

AllanK said

It does look much like cheap new factory made pots I have seen advertised for between $10 and $20. I have seen them mostly on Taobao. In fact a bought a couple of new pots in this style that I got really cheap. When I say in this style I do not mean the exact same pot but dragon motifs etc, similar to the one on your pot.

Rasseru said
i only paid that anyway so took a chance, hoping for a bit of luck. Funny enough I’m not a gambler in real life
Rasseru said

I have heard of people dipping pots in paint to make them old looking. Ha

AllanK said

The Chinese seem to be willing to fake anything to do with tea. They fake the tea and they fake the pots. You don’t know who and what to trust anymore.

@Rasseru
MarshalN wrote an old blog post on faked pots: http://www.marshaln.com/2012/03/tuition-pots/

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Do you have a picture of the inside of the pot?

Rasseru said

I’ll get one, it hasn’t even turned up yet

If it’s been “artificially aged” on the outside you can probably tell on the inside. Doesn’t look natural to me though, can’t imagine what would make it that dirty.

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Stephanie said

The stamp on the bottom seems right but it should also have a stamp on the inside of the lid. http://litaxulingkelley.blogspot.com/p/yixing-teapot-makers-marks.html this is a list of the stamps if you believe it to be a real antique
also check out this site https://yixingteapot1.wordpress.com/2013/07/18/how-to-identify-an-authentic-yixing-teapot/
other markers of a yixing tea pot is the sound and the way water drys on the tea pot.

Rasseru said

Ah that is helpful, thanks. I am not expecting it to be anything, just took a chance as nobody bid on it.

I still have to wait for it to arrive

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