Yi xing clay overview

Yixing clay (also called: purple clay, zisha clay) is a type of clay from the region near the city of Yixing in Jiangsu province, China. Its use dates back to the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279) when sandy clay was first mined around Lake Taihu in China. From the 17th century on, the ware was commonly exported to Europe.

Mined for hundreds of years Huanglong Mountain Mine

Yixing zisha purple clay ore

Yixing zisha ben lv clay

Yixing zisha red clay ore

The finished stoneware, which is used for teaware and other small items, are usually red or brown in color. They are known as Purple Sand ware, and are typically unglazed. The sandy clays used for the yixing-wares are very cohesive and can be formed by slip molding, coil forming, or most commonly, slab forming. The clays can also be formed by throwing. The most famous wares made for yixing clay are Yixing clay teapots (Yixing Purple Sand Pot).

The term "yixing clay", and also "sandy clay, purple clay, yixing clay", is often used as an umbrella term to describe three distinct types of stoneware:

purple sandy clay or purple clay (zisha or purple clay): dark brownish stoneware that gives its name to the type of stoneware usually related to yixing.

red sandy clay (Zhu ni clay): reddish brown stoneware that is made from sandy clay with a very high iron content. The name only refers to the sometimes bright red hue of cinnabar (Zhu ni clay). There are currently 10 mines still producing zhuni[citation needed]. However, due to the increasing demand for Yixing stoneware, zhuni is now in very limited quantities. Red sandy clay is not to be confused with hongni (Hong ni clay), another red clay.