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It seems to be a rule that a serious tea lover is inevitably picky in his tea and tea ware. In China, there are a number of famous Yixing purple clay teapot collectors. Can you imagine how much they love their collectibles? Mr. Liu Tianbao is one of them. This article tells about his real-life experience.

Tricked in Beijing

Liu was first exposed to purple clay when he was a little boy. His father had a miniature garden, and collected dozens of purple clay garden pots. Liu learned from his father the unique advantages of Yixing purple clay.

Back in the 1970's, Beijing did not have as many antique markets as today. The only places featuring traditional handicrafts were Tian Qiao, Shi Cha Hai, and De Sheng Men. Following his father's example, Liu visited these venues to hunt for valuable things.

One day, Liu hit a second-hand curio market. He purchased nearly 50 secondhand Yixing purple clay teapots! Then he hurried home excitedly, and dipped all the treasures into a tank. He was petrified by what he saw. The handles and spouts dropped one by one off the teapots. It turns out he bought many worthless, broken teapots pieced together by glue. He was taught a costly lesson.

Gone, Then Back Again

Many years later, a purple clay teapot caught his eye at a curio market in Tianjin. He wanted to buy it, but he couldn't afford it. He had to let it go. But 10 years later, he miraculously came across the very same teapot once again at a secondhand curio market in Beijing. This time he caught the opportunity and purchased it straight away.

He concluded that this purple clay teapot was made by Pei Shimin, a master potter of Yixing in the late Qing Dynasty. It was covered with a layer of yellow glaze. The teapot, which had gone through two separate firings, was exceptionally beautiful. Nowadays, this kind of purple clay teapot can only be seen at the Forbidden City or in museums.

Broken Bones Instead of Broken Pots

Since he comprehends their inherent value, Liu cherishes his purple clay teapots to the extreme. On one occasion, he got an antique purple clay teapot from a friend. He gingerly put it into his shoulder bag, and rode his bicycle home, singing songs happily.

But all of sudden, an old man walked in front of Liu. To prevent from bumping into the old man, Liu rolled down and off his bicycle. In the blink of an eye, he gripped his teapot fast, and let his hipbone, instead of the teapot, hit the ground first. As a result, a hipbone fracture laid him up for twelve months. Whenever his friends referred to his incident, they would gasp in admiration at how Liu loves his purple clay teapots much more than his bones.

Now Liu has been collecting purple clay teapots for over thirty years. He describes each of his unique teapots as his son. His collections prove that he has a sharp eye for purple clay teapots.

Liu says that each of his purple clay teapots contains its maker's originality, craftsmanship, and aesthetic standard. And as far as Liu is concerned, the teapots he collected prove his strong and unique vision.