Siyutao has always emphasized the quality of raw Yixing clay minerals.
In 1885,We began to continuously collect unique Yixing raw mineral ore ,
and established our own Yixing clay workshop and raw Yixing clay minerals warehouse.
To this day, we have 23 large ore warehouses and 76 clay cellars.
Through studying the rich color variations produced from different proportions of Yixing clay from different ore mines.
We only use the purest and best raw ore of authentic Yixing purple sand (zisha), and only add water in the process of making clay, without adding any chemicals.
In this era of rapid industrialization, we still choose to keep the ancient craft of making clay by hand (Gu Fa Lian Ni 古法炼泥) for excellent quality.
Machine-made Yixing clay does not have a more breathable clay mass, and its surface grain structure is not as beautiful as hand-made clay. It is an accepted fact of the industry that handmade clay (GuFaLianNi 古法炼泥) is expensive and does not appear on the open market. The complexity of the clay-handmaking process and the high demand for the quality of clay ore and superb manual skills in Yixing have led most artists to opt for machine clay rather than handmade clay.
Below are some simple images of Siyutao’s hands-on process for making Yixing clay. The actual process is more complicated.
We do not use machines to crush the ore, but insist on letting the ore soften naturally under the sun and rain. This process requires sufficient time and patience and lasts for 5 to 6 years.
After being exposed to the sun and moistened by rain, the ore will slowly expand and contract, making it easier to proceed to the next step.
The ore is hit manually with a small hammer to make it smaller. In this process, the master will remove some of the ore that does not meet the requirements. In order to pursue the best quality, this process cannot be replaced by machines.
After dozens of times of beating and picking, the ore is turned into high-quality small particles.
Insist on using the ancient stone mill to grind the yixing zisha clay raw materials, which can make the Yixing teapots made of this clay more breathable and make the tea taste better.
Gradually, after many times of stone grinding, the particles became finer powder.
Insisting on pure yixing zisha clay, we only add clean water without adding any chemicals. Manual stirring to control dryness, humidity, and viscosity.
After kneading and beating, the clay is formed into a ball. It is then squeezed into a cuboid for easy storage.
Everything else needs time. The clay will not reach its best quality immediately after it is made. Just like wine, it needs time to store. Time and moisture can make the clay higher quality.