Purple-Sand Clay Waves in Popularity of Collecting Zisha Science and Technology, Ease of Infor- Pottery
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PURPLE紫砂泥-SAND ART Part II: Archeological Discoveries 考古發現 茶人: Huang Chien Liang (黃健亮) urple-Sand clay teapots have a pared to 1982, when Zhan Xunhua Hongqi Pottery Factory were remov- P history of more than five hun- (詹勛華) compiled the Graphic Ar- ing some clay from the mountainside, dred years. In Chinese, they are chive of Yixing Pottery (宜興陶器圖 they discovered an ancient kiln site known as Zisha Hu (紫砂壺), with the 譜), the material available today is on Lishu Village’s Yangjiao (“Sheep’s characters Zisha (紫砂) literally mean- much more plentiful. The abundance Horn”) Mountain. This discovery was ing “purple sand.” Throughout this of information that we now benefit very significant for shedding light on history, there have been several main from is the result of ever-developing the origins of Yixing Purple-Sand clay waves in popularity of collecting Zisha science and technology, ease of infor- pottery. According to the records, this clay pots, including the late Ming mation sharing, and of course, decades ancient kiln was a small example of the Dynasty, the reign of the Qianlong of hard work by archaeologists and type known as a Dragon Kiln, measur- Emperor during the Qing Dynasty, historians. We who are fascinated by ing around ten meters long and just the late Qing and early Republic, and Purple-Sand clay must be sure to hon- over a meter wide. In a pile of scrapped the present day. The last thirty-odd or all this research. Below is a selection pottery next to the kiln, they discov- years from the 1980s until now have of some of the more eminent research ered a great number of rejected pieces seen a particular swell of interest in about Zisha clay pottery, collated and of Purple-Sand clay pottery from the these pots, which is still going strong. organized to provide a reference to the period. Most of the unearthed piec- The main reason for these waves, of existing body of research, so that the es were from various types of teapot, course, was the circumstances during various materials may support each and included spouts, teapot bodies, these periods of history; these were the other and be useful for future studies. handles and lids. The scholars at the “golden ages,” when China was flour- time classified the pile of fragments ishing in terms of both culture and by layers, and noticed that some of economy, resulting in the so-called Discoveries the teapot spouts were decorated by “fine collections from times of peace shaping them into dragons, which was and prosperity.” For a long time, the main source consistent with the style of the Drag- The past few decades have seen for archaeological research regarding on and Tiger vases that were popular large volumes of archaeological re- Yixing Purple-Sand clay was a work in the south during the Song Dynas- search surface. The current body of re- published in 1984: A Report on Find- ty. They also discovered some small search has come a long way since 1937, ings from Ancient Kiln Sites at Yangji- Song Dynasty bricks in the same spot. when Zhang Hong (張虹) and Li Jing- ao Mountain, Yixing (宜興羊角山 From this, they deduced that the earli- kang (李景康) wrote their Illustrated 古窑址調查簡報), in the Collected est pieces were from the middle of the Study of Yangxian Sand Teapots (陽羨 Reports on Excavations from China’s Northern Song Dynasty, with produc- 砂壺圖考), when the existing research Ancient Kilns (中國古代窑址調查 tion flourishing during the Southern was scarce and inaccessible (Yangxian 發掘報告集). Some years earlier in Song; the latest pieces were produced is an old name for Yixing). Even com- 1976, while workers from the Yixing as recently as the early Ming Dynasty. 75 1 1 2 3 3 1) Today, Shu Mountain (蜀山) is the most important archaeological site for pur- ple-sand clay pots (photo provided by the Archaeology team at the Nanjing Museum). 2) Spout with molded dragon head, discovered at Yangjiao Mountain in Yixing. 3) Various lids and fragments that were unearthed at the Shu Mountain site, all of which were broken shards. However, there have been differing as Mr. Li also points out, “Throughout lic of China, and included Zisha clay, viewpoints on this in scholarly circles China, more than one thousand Song Junware and other types of everyday over the years, with some questioning Dynasty tombs have been excavated, pottery. In September 2008, the Nan- whether the pottery remnants from yet to date, none of these tombs have jing Museum held an exhibition show- Yangjiao Mountain provide sufficient yielded a single Purple-Sand clay casing fragments from the Yangjiao evidence to reach these conclusions. teapot!” and Shushan digs, entitled Whispers of For example, historian Mr. Song Bo- Despite this research, it seems that Purple Jade: A Collection of Purple-Sand yin (宋伯胤) from the Nanjing Mu- perhaps because the many dynasties’ Clay Artifacts. seum writes: “One cannot rely on the worth of relics hiding beneath China’s The Whispers of Purple Jade exhibit similarity between such a small num- soil are so plentiful and so ancient, also included artifacts excavated from ber of pottery shapes and some relics China’s archaeological experts haven’t an ancient well site at Jinsha Square excavated from Northern Song tombs; had much time for a newcomer such in Jintan City, Jiangsu Province. The or on the fact that certain shapes don’t as Purple-Sand clay, with its mere few ceramic fragments excavated from this appear after the Southern Song; or hundred years of history. It wasn’t un- well dated to as early as the reign of the that the bricks from the brick pile are til 2005, nearly thirty years after the Ming Emperor Zhengde, and as late relatively small, or that they resemble Yangjiao Mountain dig, that interest as the reign of the last Ming Emper- bricks from the Northern Song. It’s began to pick up. Late that year, with or, Chongzhen. Also unearthed at the simply not enough evidence.” Follow- the support of the Taipei Chengyang same site was a teapot with a hooped ing this reasoning, Mr. Song maintains Foundation, archaeological experts handle at the top and a number of that the only way to get real answers from the Nanjing Museum, the Wuyi pots with spouts for boiling water, all would be to conduct a comprehen- City Museum and the local museology of which were similar in shape and sive archaeological survey in the area department in Yixing joined forces to crafting technique to the late Ming surrounding Yangjiao Mountain, us- excavate an area of around 700 square pottery found at the Shushan site. The ing the proper scientific techniques. meters, located at two historical sites hoop-handled teapot bore a particu- Archaeological expert Li Guang on the southwest slopes of Shu Moun- larly strong resemblance to a similar ning (李廣寧) from Anhui Province tain (Shu Shan), near Dingshu Village pot, the Hoop-handled Persimmon also states that “The ancient kiln (丁蜀鎮) in Yixing. After two years Stem-Patterned Pot, found on Majia site at Yangjiao Mountain has never of work, the archaeologists discovered Mountain in Nanjing, Jiangsu, and undergone scientific archaeological ten areas with remnants of kilns from dating to the twelfth year of the reign excavation… it is unsuitable to be different periods. Altogether, they of the Ming Emperor Jiajing (1533). cited as archaeological evidence… unearthed more than three thousand The two pots are so similar in terms it’s very hard to confirm that the site pottery fragments from various soil of shape, clay and crafting and firing dates to any earlier than the reign of strata. The fragments dated from the techniques, as to provide evidence that the Ming Emperor Jiajing.” Moreover, late Ming Dynasty to the early Repub- they are from the same period. 76 Yixing Teaware Of the Zisha implements that have The earliest use forZisha pots was a similarly designed steam spout lead- been uncovered from the era of the likely for boiling water or tea. Gradu- ing out from the side of the pot. From Zhengde and Jiajing Emperors in the ally, they migrated away from the stove this, we can surmise that these Zisha Ming Dynasty, a particularly fine exam- and began to be used for brewing tea “pierced heart” pots were a common ple is the Drum-Shaped Four-handled instead, and so they became more re- household item in that period, though Purple-Sand Clay Pot found in 1991 fined. Most of the hoop-handled pots they are seldom seen nowadays. at Nanchan Temple in Wuxi, Jiangsu. and jugs described above bear the signs You’ll remember that earlier in this This pot is heavy and thick-set (similar of direct contact with flames, which article we discussed the Hoop-handled to the Gang style of bowl) with a pur- also attests to these circumstances. In Persimmon Stem-Patterned Pot found plish-brown color, and is made from a 2005 in Jiangsu Province, the site of a at Wujing’s tomb from the Ming Jia- fairly coarse, gritty clay. The body of Ming Dynasty guard post was excavat- jing period, in the city of Nanjing. the pot is crafted in a similar fashion to ed on the south side of Datong Street Wujing (吳經) was a trusted eunuch that of the hoop-handled pot found in in the city of Xuzhou. A type of Pur- of the Zhengde Emperor, whose tem- the Wujing tomb—it is formed from ple-Sand clay “pierced heart” teapot ple name was Ming Wuzong (明武宗) a top and bottom part, with a clearly was found at this site, which was used and whose personal name was Zhu visible join mark on the inside.