The appearance of teapots began in the Song Dynasty. The real heyday of purple sand craft was the Ming Dynasty. At this time, people no longer favor tea sets made of gold, silver, tin and porcelain, but prefer plain purple sand pottery tea sets, and famous ceramists such as Gong Chun and Shi Dabin appeared. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, purple sand pottery prevailed in the world, and famous products appeared one after another, which greatly increased their value. This phenomenon comes from two aspects: first, because of the extremely complicated social contradictions in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Because of dissatisfaction with the present situation, literati seek self-improvement and self-liberation, pursue the interest of returning to the original, and seek sustenance, simplicity, nature and elegance in pot drinking. The second is mainly reflected in its practical value. The teapot not only has the mechanical strength close to that of porcelain, but also has certain air permeability and tiny pores. It has incomparable advantages over other tea sets, such as the soup does not change color, the taste does not leave fragrance, it can warm hands in winter and does not deteriorate in summer.

The making process of teapot is very complicated. After mud selection, soil cultivation (pit storage for a period of time) and mud washing, it can be made. Because of the different color and texture of clay, clay presents various colors, such as vermilion of stone yellow mud and dark liver color of sky blue. Pottery artists often mix and innovate with clay of different textures. If the old mud is mixed with azure mud and stone yellow mud, it will be bronzed; Pear skin mud and fine white in light ink color and so on. The teapot that people usually see is mainly made of purple mud, which is purple in color and delicate and flexible in texture. After firing, the teapot is divided into dozens of colors, mainly including begonia red, pork liver red, thorn red, sunflower yellow, sesame yellow, bean green, dark green, pomegranate peel, grape purple and so on. There are also various pot shapes such as meatballs, goose eggs, white gourd, waist-girding, beautiful shoulders and general helmets. Although the teapot has various shapes and styles, in general, it can be divided into four types:

First, the type of light elements. This pot is simple in appearance, smooth in surface and full of natural luster. According to spherical, cylindrical, fruit-shaped, octagonal and other geometric shapes. Common ones are round pot, square pot, hexagonal diamond pot and straight pot.

Second, bionic. This pot is mainly made of plastic, exquisite in workmanship and rigorous in structure. It is made by imitating the branches, fruits and leaves of trees and flowers and the shapes of animals or daily necessities. It is vivid, simple and cordial. Common ones are pine pot, plum pile pot, flat bamboo pot, pumpkin pot, fish pot, cat pot, boat pot, pu pot and so on.

Third, artistry. This kind of pot is not only changeable in shape, but also integrates calligraphy and painting, poetry, sculpture, clay sculpture, painting and tin-clad inlay, giving people a comprehensive artistic enjoyment. Common ones are Fushan pot, Double Happiness pot and Han bamboo slips pot. And "Mansheng Pot" is its masterpiece.

Fourth, special types. This kind of pot includes two varieties: one is a teapot with modern ceramic meaning, which is not limited by traditional pot art, fully displays the author's personality and deliberately innovates. One is a special tea set specially made for drinking oolong tea in Fujian, Guangzhou and Taiwan Province provinces, also known as Kung Fu tea set. This teapot is petite, with a capacity of 50 ml to 100 ml. The four small cups matched with the teapot are surprisingly small, just like half a table tennis ball, with a capacity of only about 5 ml.

In addition to the above four kinds, there are many mixed teapots, which are numerous and have their own charm.

Influenced by the complicated process of making teapot, the reputation of the Potter and the status symbol of the famous teapot owner, teapot has been valuable since the Ming Dynasty, and many collectors even spent all their money to buy a purple sand treasure.

With the increasing collection fever and economic value of Yixing teapot, there are many fake and shoddy works on the market, either masterpieces by predecessors or inferior mud from different places. The craft and texture are very rough, and purple sand collectors must carefully distinguish them. Generally speaking, genuine pots are heavy in weight, smooth in color, delicate in texture and crisp and sonorous when knocked. At the same time, the bottom and lid of the pot (even below the handle and the lifting beam) have Yang's inscription, and most of the fake and shoddy works are light, dark, thick, dull or nameless. Even if there is, it is a mixture of yin and yang, and the handwriting is illegible. Some people even use Sichuan wax and floor wax to coat the pot body. Let it be shiny and watery to fill the top grade, or paint it with asphalt and shoe polish to fill the antique.

A good teapot, through its shape, spirit and spirit, integrates aesthetic thought, natural charm, painting and calligraphy art and economic value, giving people inner spiritual feelings such as insipid, elegant, simple and gentle. Treasures connected with the soul are naturally more valuable than gold and silver jewelry, which is the main reason why teapot has always been cherished by collectors and known as the king of tea sets.