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Enjoy your cuppa? This may just be for you
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A GOOD teapot matters a lot for a good cup of tea. A zisha (purple clay) teapot is not just a pot, it is also a piece of art.
Shanghai artist Xu Sihai, a heritage representative of Shanghai-style zisha teapot, and his student Xu Zefeng are having a joint exhibition at Shanghai Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition Center.
The exhibition, running until August 11, features nearly 40 teapots.
Xu Sihai is one of the most successful teapot makers in China today. His zisha teapots are hugely popular among celebrities and political leaders.
Since 1982, he has made nearly 1,100 teapots until last year when he announced that he was retiring.
Born in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province, Xu Sihai moved to Shanghai with his mother when he was 10 years old. At the age of 23, he joined the army. He was sent to Vietnam as a scout in the late 1960s.
While in the army, Xu started drinking tea and gradually developed an interest in purple-clay teapots. His interest deepened in the 1980s, a time when such teapot’s value had not been fully recognized by many Chinese. Around that time, Xu quit his comfortable job in logistics at a state-owned company and moved to Yixing to learn how to make these pots.
After he left the army, Xu returned to Shanghai with a truck full of purple-clay teapots.
Years later, his talent as a teapot maker was recognized, both within China and abroad. With time, his pots were seen by many collectors as works of art in their own right.
In 1985, one teapot titled “Summer” was awarded the golden prize at a national competition. It was later purchased by the Asian Art Museum in the United States.
The highlight of the exhibition is his two zisha teapots titled “Liu Fang Su Dai” and “Hai Chun.”
Another highlight is a teapot named “Tan Ran” created by Xu Zefeng. According to him, the teapot was inspired by his trip to Dubai in May for an exhibition of intangible cultural heritage. Xu Zefeng said the teapot is fused with a modern flavor.
Date: Through August 11, 10am-4pm
Address: 288 Ninghai Rd E.
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