紫砂泥
Location of Zisha clay: Yixing, Jiangsu, China
The popularity of Yixing as a centre for the production of stoneware teapots in China hinges primarily on its location in the fertile region (rice, mulberry trees, silk) within the triangle formed by Nanjing (apex), Hangzhou (base) and Shanghai (base). 1
Zisha clay found in Yixing has a unique sandy consistency that sets it apart from similar clays found in other parts of China and Europe. 1
“Zisha is a clay of the kaolin-quartz-mica type with a high content of iron oxide (7.40 – 8.66%). This high iron content distinguishes Zisha clay from other materials of kaolin type, giving the ware its characteristic dark purplish-red colour. Kaolin also gives Zisha ware its good fired strength and stone-like quality, and the presence of mica in the clay body probably accounts for its rough, sandy texture.” 2
“One might say that Zisha ware possesses the dual characteristics of the rich red colour and porosity of earthenware, and the stone-like durability of high-fired stoneware.” 2
Zisha or Purple Sand/Clay is exclusively mined in Huang Long Shan 黄龙山 (Yellow Dragon Mountain) located in Dingshu town, south of the city of Yixing in Jiangsu Province, China.
Footnote:
1 Text paraphrased from: Kuei-hsiang Lo, “The Stonewares of Yixing: From the Ming Period to the Present Day,” (Hong Kong University Press, 1986), 11, 19.
2 Text quoted from: Kuei-hsiang Lo, “The Stonewares of Yixing: From the Ming Period to the Present Day,” (Hong Kong University Press, 1986), 20-1.
