OK... Here are the details...

These are the steps I did for this particular teapot.

I don't follow the exact steps as seen here all the time as it all depends on how dirty is your teapot.



1. Put one Steradent tablet inside the teapot.
2. Placed the teapot into a metal bowl.
3. Filled up the teapot with hot water until it bubbles over the brim.
4. Close the lid and left it there for an hour.



5. Add hot water outside the teapot, filling the metal bowl until the teapot is partially submerged.
6. Left to stand for a minute or two.
7. Added two Steradent tablet in the water outside of the teapot.
8. Fill the metal bowl with hot water to the brim.



9. Tic, Toc, Tic, Toc………
10. Tic, Toc, Tic, Toc………
11. Tic, Toc, Tic, Toc………
12. Tic, Toc, Tic, Toc………



13. OK… One hour later…
14. Tic, Toc, Tic, Toc………
15. Tic, Toc, Tic, Toc………
16. Tic, Toc, Tic, Toc………



17. Lightly brushed the surface.
18. The water is murky, a sign that the tea stains on the teapot is coming off.
19. After brushing off the remaining stains, I poured away the Steradent solution and rinse the teapot under running tap water.
20. Then I submerged the teapot in clean tap water... and the waiting starts again… tic, toc, tic, toc….



21. Tic, toc, tic, toc ……..
22. 16 hours later, I removed the teapot and dried it.
23. Right view…
24. Yes… happy now… clean.

Finally!!!! It's done!!

OK... I've finally found the time to clean the poor teapot. This is a teaser...



The picture you see above is after submerging for 8 hours in the Steradent solution and another 16 hours in plain tap water.

I'll be back with the rest of the pictures. Stay tuned!

I'm back!

Hi everyone.

Wow.. it's great to read your comments and thanks for all your kind words.

I need to seek your forgiveness for not posting any sooner.

The reason being my 2 sons were falling ill and came down with high fever due to a bacterial infection one after the other and the cycle went on until they were hospitalised for about a week.

Not they are back home and the time taken to attend to them and making sure that there's no relapse just drains me entirely.

I've yet to get down and clean the teapot but wil very soon and will post it here.

Redeeming a teapot.

I happen to come accross this poor thing during a meet up with a friend a few days back. This is a classic example of teapot abuse. I could not bear the sight and had to redeem the honour and soul of this teapot. At the end of the meet, I unshamely asked for the teapot. Even offering to pay to it as I felt the deep need to redeem this poor thing. Naturally, it came to me for FREE!

My Observation

From my observation, the filth on this teapot mainly consist of tea stains. To my horror, this teapot was used by a tea maker from northern Thailand. I am not questioning their rights to use the teapot, but the lack of attention and care given to a vessel that plays a main roll in contributing to their revenue.

This is not a teapot made of old yixing clay. In my opinion, the make is only of average quality and standard. The workmanship is also of avenge standing.

Cleaning the vessel

Since I'm in the midst of blogging the cleaning procedures I often do, I thought it will be a good idea to document a step by step guide on what I do when I clean this teapot.

Keep your bookmarks on this page. I'll blog the process very soon.

My Cleaning Tools

Here are my cleaning tools.

1. Cylindrical file.

Most of you know I enjoy getting my hands on old yixing teapots. Some teapots have got small specs of clay stuck to the grill or the 'breathing' hole at the lid. This small fill does wonders when it comes to clearing these blockages. Sometimes when water / tea doesn't flow smoothly from the the snout, it may not be due to poor workmanship of the teapot. It may simply be stuck. By no means am I trying to doctor the teapot, neither am I tampering with the nature of the teapot. I'm merely clearing a clogged hole.

2. - 4. Brush.

Brush No.2 is a brush used by hair saloon to apply dye to the hair. There is also these little 'mascara' brushes which I use to reach those hard to-get-to places i.e. the area between the snout and body, under the lid handle and etc. I've seen many collectors who can't seem to clean these odd places. Hence leaving a very obvious tea stain. In my opinion, that's teapot abuse!! Especially if the teapot is an authentic piece and aged!

5. Steradent.

This is a dental cleaning agent used to clean dentures. This is my justification, if it's safe enough to use on dentures and placed in the mouth, then it's safe enough for teapot use. It definitely cleans better than toothpaste. Just soak a dirty yixing teapot in a hot Steredon solution and leave it there overnight. The tea residue and other impurities simply fall out when you rinse the teapot. Stuborn stains might need a very light brush. That's all that's needed.

6. Pig's Tail Hair Brush


This brush is made of hair taken from the pig's tail. It's definitely harder than the hardest toothbrush you can find, but relatively softer than the domestic W/C brush. The reason I use this brush is because it is hard enough to brushdown to the pores, or at the very least as close to as possible. I've experimented with various kinds of brushes, from toothbrush to dishwasher brush and find that the pig's tail hair brush cleans the cleanest teapot. But my trials with the pig tail hair brush didn't start with a happy note at all. I applied too much pressure and force leaving a bad scar on one of my teapots. Fortunately, it was a test teapot which was damaged beyond use.


7. Cloth.

My trusted tea cloth. I use those with a higher stitch count per square inch. The quality is much better than the normal table cloth and has a lower possibility of fibres falling out after a period of use. Also note those that are heavily dyed! If these cloths are used, make sure you've washed them thoroughly by boiling it in a hot pot of water. Otherwise, you'll find the colour on the cloth transferred to your teapot. I've came accross a maroon coloured tea choth which was so heavily dyed, my hands were red in colour after washing it!! That cloth never made it to the teapots!

The Cleaning Process

This is how I usually do it... but it depends on the condition of the teapot you intend to clean.

Step 1 :
Rince the teapot with running water. Wash off as much dirt or clay residue as much as possible.

Step 2 :
Take 2 tablets of Steredon and put it into a bucket / pot filled with hot water. The reason I use hot water is because heat opens up the pores. I'm able to clean deeper this way. If the inside of the teapot is very dirty, then I would also put 1 tablet into the teapot. Let it sit for at least 1 hour. If the stain still persist, then let it stand for a total of 8 hours. I'd usually leave it and go to bed at night.

Step 3 :
Take it out and pour the Steredon solution out from the teapot through the snout. The flow will also remove some dirt in the snout which is unreachable by normal cleaning processes. Normally, small pieces of dirt will also flow out. If there are some stuborn stains remaining, use a toothbrush to remove them. Just a light brush will do.

Step 4 :
Put the teapot under running water and rinse thoroughly to remove all remaining trace of Steredon. A minty smell will remain.

Step 5 :
I'll then take some low grade Pu'Erh usually LiuPao and brew it with the pot. The resulting tea it not for drinking. This will cure the teapot of the minty smell.

Step 6 :
While performing Step 5, use the the pig's tail hair brush and gently brush the surface of the teapot, applying slight pressure as you go on. Do it while the teapot is still hot. When the water evaporates or runs off, you'll find a layer of powder on the teapot. Clean with a piece of tea cloth. This will remove most of the smaller particle dust from the teapot. The result will be a clean and shiny teapot.

The teapot is now ready for use.

Cleaning my Teapot

There are many ways to clean a newly acquired yixing teapot, be it a new make or an old one.

Some may prefer to "cook" it in a boiling pot of tea, some brushes their teapots with toothpaste and a toothbrush, some simply rinse it with running water, while some don't even wash their yixing teapots at all!!

I personally prefer to clean them and rid them of any unwanted particles or dusts before I begin. This means, even it has a good coating of patina on it, I'll still brush it down.

By doing so, fine cracks or minor defects will also tend to surface as the shiny patina is removed. One perfect example was my HanJun#21. The numbers "2" and "1" only surfaced after I removed all the patina and tea stains on the teapot.

Here's an example of a 1960s Mei Tuan I acquired a while back.



The pictures in the center, boxed with a red border are the after pictures, surrounded by the before pictures.

The tea stains inside the teapot is somehow gave a light smell of Oolong tea. My guess is that the teapot was heavily used to brew oolong in general. Even after thoroughly cleaning the teapot with Steredon, a hint of oolong fragrance still lingers in the teapot. Now it is being used to brew High Mountain Oolong and Tie Kwan Yin. Though the porousity of this teapot is rather low, it somehow brews very nice Oolongs but not green tea and pu'erh.

Keep your bookmarks on this page as I will feature my cleaning tools next.

My "ZhuNi" Experience

There is a recent post in PhilaTea@YahooGroups! concerning the authenticity of old ZhuNi teapots. Allen@PhilaTea have came up with an amazing explanation and guideline. As usual, I'm adding some photos here and there to add more meat to his ever so educational postings.



This is one of my favourite teapots. I've even used it in my wedding album together with HanJun#21. This "PiauChun" teapot which I enjoy using sooooo much is made in the 1960s, authinticated with the seal at the bottom and also the clay, workmanship and characte of the teapot. It brews perfect RouGui from the WuYi Mountain! Brings out every essence of the tea. I've 'inherited' it from another user who unfortunately had to sell his teapots due to financial constraints. If you have seen it in person, it’s really a sight to behold! The ‘glow’ emitted from the teapot simply mesmerises you and really makes it a joy to have it in your hands.

The "Glow" of ZhuNi Teapots.

I’ve actually experimented by purchasing 2 identical ‘new’ ZhuNi teapots. I’ve use one and kept another as a control unit. Here are some interesting comparison photos taken.



This was a result of constant using accross a 2 months period.

Here's another one of my "ZhuNi" teapots. I've used this to brew LongJing or DragonWell. I know... we're not supposed to use teapots for such fine green tea, but believe me, the consistancy of the teapot is so close to porceline, it actually makes better LongJing than any GaiWan I've used, be it new or old!! There were only 2 of these teapots in circulation. I happen to know the other owner and his teapot seems to shy away from LongJing but instead brings the essence out of Ginseng Oolong!!

I only use this teapot once a year, when LongJing is harvested and sold fresh!



Crawl Marks (Wrinkle Marks)

Again, as in reference to ZhuNi, these 'crawl marks" are as difficult to identify as the clay itself! The “crawl marks’ which appears in the ZhuNi teapots I have unfortunately are those which are mixed with a certain percentage of very fine ZhiSha, but they do show the tell-ale “crawl marks”, but it appears more like a “wrinkle” rather than “crawl marks”. Note the area close to the handle.



Most of the "New ZhuNi" I've got shows the same 'wrinkles', but am definite that they are not pure as they come in purple and caremel colours.

Here are some fakes!! aka... tuition fees...

These teapots were sold to me as “ZhuNi” teapots. Well, I’d guess this is what I would categorise as “tuition fees”!!





Collecting or trying to get a ZhuNi teapot in your possession is really a rare occasion and opportunity, especially the pure and authentic ones! You can only tell by getting as many ‘ZhuNi’ teapots in your hands as possible and learning and studying them as closely as possible. Even under magnification, the properties between the more refined ZhiSha and ZhuNi are very close or even unnoticeable to the human eye.

Over my limited years of trying to understand teapots, especially older ones, I’ve rarely same across authentic old ZhuNi teapots and they do pose a higher risk if one wants to buy them as Allen have explained why in detail. Which is why I’d rather go for something which I can authenticate or get a point of reference i.e. books and other experts in the field.

Seal of the Maker

The 3 photos shown here are seals commonly found on teapots ranging from 1965 to 1981.



The seals are authentic as they are taken from a book published in China featuring teapots ranging from 1965 to the early 1990s. I don't have the luck to get a copy, but I've managed to borrow one and scanned the important pages. You won't find the personal seal of the maker on the base of the teapot as it's against the law during the early 50s to late 70s (punishable by death). So, if you come accross a teapot which bears the name of the maker at the bottom dated to this era, it's definitely a fake!

These seals are made on the teapot with a wooden seal which was depressed on the base of the teapot before firing it in the kiln. Teapots of the later century i.e. 20th and 21st Century are usually mass produced and the maker's seal is usually made with either a marble or iron seal. The surest way to identify a seal introduced with a wooden seal or a marble/iron is the uniformity of the depression made. A wooden seal is handcrafted and would wear as it ages, leaving a smooth and rounded depression edge. All the seals you see here are made with a wooden seal. Where as a marble/iron seal takes a longer time to show signs of wear and tear. The solidity of the material itself will leave a depression which has straight and sharp edges. But this should not be used as a determinating factor of the authenticity of a old teapot as there are new teapots in circulation which uses the wooden seal method!! It's relatively easy to make a wooden seal.



These 3 "Zhong Guo Yi Xing" Seals are taken from teapots made in 2002. It can be taken as a comparison to the older ones (above).

Melon Teapot Comparison

During the start of my quest to understand and educate myself with regards to YiXing Teapots dated back to the earlier 20th, 19th and 18th Centuries, I took some additional time to document my findings in photos and kept it in archive.

"Beauty - A great teapot is the one that you don't want to drink tea without it. You pick a good teapot like you pick a wife. You want to look at your teapot (wife) for the next 50 years and realize she will still be beautiful." – Allen@PhilaTea

Here's a pictorial comparison between two Melon Teapots.


The left teapot originates from the mid 1970s and the right from the mid 1980s.

As I've mentioned in my earlier post regarding the colour of the clay, do note that the left teapot have got a lighter tone with a hint of red and orange. While the one on the right is from a later date (mid 80s) which have a darker tone with a hint of chocolate colour.

Do note also that the left teapot have got a touch of a master, where as the one on the right appears to be poorly done.

In my opinion, in Beauty also lie in the Energy, Strength, Soul, Proportion and Realism (overall aesthetics) of the teapot. Hence, take a quick look and compare between left and right, and you'll see that the left teapot satisfies the 5 criteria. The Energy of the overall teapot is overwhelming, while the strength of the curves, bends and engravings are noticeable. The Soul of the teapot is felt when you look at it, it attracts your attention, somewhat demanding your attention and action to just hold it in your hands. The various parts, lid, sprout, handle and body are all in proportion. Look at the leaf at the base of the handle, it appears as if it's about to fall off and the curves simply cuts through your mind. The lid's thickness is constant all round. To me, this is a superb teapot to own, unfortunately, it's no longer in my possession.

While the one on the right tells collectors a shabby tale of it's making. The teapot's main parts are not in proportion. The leaf looks artificial or dead, the energy, strength and soul of the teapot is very much lacking. But to the untrained and inexperienced collector, it's a good looking teapot. The clay is authentic, dating back to the mid 1980s, but the beauty of the teapot is simply not appealing!

The base of both teapots does not bear the seal of the maker. To quote Allen@PhilaTea, "This is the grand thing about collecting yixing and always my recommendation to all new collectors - collect the work because it pleases you not because it claims to be rare or is expensive. For me this is the first rule of collecting."

Han Jun #21

This is my first Han Jun teapot. I name it Han Jun #21 not because of the significance of the number or date, but the numbers "2" and "1" appearing at the top right corner of the lid when viewed at an angle.

The History

This teapot was heavily used and dirty when I first got my hands on it. The person who sourced this teapot for me told me that it will be a gamble to purchase this teapot. Why? It was extremely dirty and covered with tea marks all over the teapot especially at the corners and snout entrance. The only way to find out is to clean it thoroughly with Steredon (denture cleaning agent).

It took me a good 2 days to clean the teapot inside out and make sure that there's no unwanted smell in the teapot.

I started to examine the teapot to look for defects. To my amazement, there don't seem to be any cracks or leak!! The tell-tale signs of a hand-made teapot dating back to the middle 1980s are all observed and authenticated. Great!! Now it's time to look at the external body, again to look for defects and cracks. I found a slight misalignment at the 'bridge' on the lid, but that is normal for a teapot of that age. After looking at it for a further 2 hours, I am convinced and satisfied that I've got my hands on a genuine 20 year old teapot.

Using It

Immediately after I've finished and satisfied with my findings, I started using it. Before it was cleaned inside-out, there seems to be a strong 'raw pu'erh' smell coming from the inside of the teapot. My guess is it was used to make 'raw pu'erh' for a long time. Hence, I got hold of the '1960s Yellow Seal Raw Pu'erh" I had in my possession and started scooping the tea into the Han Jun.

Immediately after I poured the hot water into the Han Jun, I noticed (with my approval and amazement) an immediate glow and change in hue of the teapot. This is seen as a good or favourable sign that the Han Jun has affinity with "Raw Pu'erh". As a result, the tea was brewed beyond my expectations. I was simply delighted I've not given up on the Han Jun. The tea was smooth, the aroma / fragrance filled my living room and the after-taste was simply amazing!!! Never have I tasted such a well brewed tea!

Now and Beyond

I'm still using the Han Jun 21, but have also gotten hold of a late 1800 to the turn of the century "Mei Tuan" teapot. Which coincidentally brews superb "raw pu'er". I'll talk more about that another day. As for now, I am happy with my Han Jun 21 and the other Han Juns in my collection.