Chen Mingyuan

Chen Mingyuan was the famous Zisha Master in the Kangxi Era of the Qing Dynasty. He was skilled as carving on the tea pots. His carving style was close to those artists in the Jin and Tang Dynasties. His tea pots were very welcome by the scholars and high government officers. He had many famous designs such as the Heaven's Chicken Pot, the Flower Pot, the Chrysanthemum Pot, and so on. Today, his Pumpkin Pot and Bamboo Root Basin were preserved in the Nanjing Museum.


Yang Pengnian

Yang Pengnian's tea pots were exquisite and never used a mold. His inspiration came from the nature world. He cooperated with the famous artist Chen Mansheng: Chen Mansheng designed eighteen kinds of tea pots, then Yang Pengnian made them according to the design. When the rough cast was half dry, Chen Mansheng used a bamboo knife to carve the inscription on the surface. These types of tea pots were called "Mansheng Pot". The Mansheng Pots combined the Zisha technology and art and created a new style of Zisha Making.

Yang Fengnian

Yang Fengnian is the younger sister of Yang Pengnian. She was the most famous female Zisha maker in the history. Many of her tea pots were handed down till today. She used the valuable Skyblue clay therefore there was a bluish color on her Zisha pots. Her famous Bamboo Pot was designed as the shape of bamboo, while the spout and handle resembled branches and leaves. It is preserved in the Yixing Pottery Museum.

Shao Daheng

Shao Daheng used the imitation of the antiques on his tea pots but also had many new ideas. His tea pots were rather plain and simple than exquisite but also very elegant. His tea pots were very valuable even in his own time. He was also famous for his upright and faithful personality. He used to be tortured by the local governor for his service but he never gave in. His handed down master pieces include A Fish Transforming to a Dragon Pot (in Chinese tradition many people believe that a carp fish can be transformed to a dragon) and a Bundle of Bamboo Pot.


Zhu Shimei

Zhu Shimei was an artist　good at painting. Then he became a Zisha maker. His tea pots combine the art and technology together.

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