Half-hand made Yixing teapot.
Half-hand made Yixing teapot means it is made with the help of mold during the step of shaping the body which is the most difficult part also time costing part not to junior artists only but also senior masters. And more importantly it requires aesthetic sense and experience.
A half-hand made pot still needs both hands to process all the steps as same as full-hand made pot till it has the basic shape as a teapot as below shows and even after that.
Like below, half-hand made teapot will use mold to make the body be round and the shape be perfect as it needs. Mold here makes the job more efficient only. Even though there are still many details should be done by hands on body like junctions, holes for handle and water flowing mouth etc.
That is the main reason why half-hand made teapot can be lower on price than full-hand made teapot under same author with same mud material on same shape due to the saved time and effort.
Also half-hand made teapot is not equal to chemical teapot or machine teapot, or grouting teapot which are harmful to health or at least the risk is much higher. We don't source and sell that kinds of teapots.
So you can choose ever half-hand or full hand made teapot according to your preference, budget and necessity like us. When you feel concerned about quality or health issue, it is better to ask for details from seller. Anyway, half-hand made teapot can be less expensive but it still should have reasonable price according to cost.
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When we source or judge Yixing teapot, we do it according to some basic factors as below. There are also some other reasons affecting our judgement and we will add these details gradually below.
1) Appearance,
It includes style (vertical and horizontal, is it crooked, tilted or so), color (natural or not so), smell (natural or some earthy or not so even unpleasant), other details on design and making from outside to inside.
* Please note that, due to the package square box of the teapot may use glue and not high quality one, the odor smell may transfer into teapot, but it can be cleaned clearly like boiling and brewing tea to absorb it (not drinking tea).
2) Certificate from author,
Is the stamp mark from the author left on it or just "China Yixing" like produced by factory. Generally the stamp mark should appear on certificate, bottom of the outside of teapot, inside of the lid, downside of the handle. Some may also leave stamp or even carved words on the inside of the wall.
3) Water flowing.
Smooth, fast or not.
4) Tea brewing, temperature keeping.
Good or not. Does it do a good job to bring out the tea essences to supply taste and flavor?