an old teapot

Some years ago in Taipei I came by one old a kind of antique shop. Small, narrow, in a beaten street of Taipei, shabby one. I notice some puerh cakes in there so I went it. It was so narrow that I hardly two men standing next to each other would fit in. At the back there was a table and behind a man sitting and drinking tea. He was this super thin asiatic skinny old man, came to know later he was 75. 

We had several tea meetings I would call them so. Going through all his teas that slightly made unsatisfied. About a second visit had a need to retaste some of his teas in the evening,  alone in my rented small appartment. I noticed some yixing pots so I checked them and took one and a few porcelain cups. 

They served just ok, back at home I started using it/actually them as I bought more of them later. As months went by I noticed I use them more and more. This january I thought to contact the man, rather his son as the old man is off this digital world we all dwell in. 

Got those 10 teapots I published lately and myself picked one. I use mine more and more even I stopped useing my other teapots. I was curious why my teas again taste different. These pots have been used for who knows how many years. The teas taste despite of this fact very pure, sometime with oldisch feel at the background.

I thought I am over sensitive until my local friend tells me a similar experience with one of these madame’s. He comes to me and wants another one and then another 2, one for his son-in-law and he evens tells me if I decide to say farewel to my that he is interested. 

These teapots seem to be all hand made althought some do not have those marks. All have this old style one hole instead of a filter/sieve. This could be handy with whole leaves but once they are broken they could be stuck in the spout. Some have some managable flaws but most are performing well. They tell me they are about 30 and more years old.

Each teapot I test in a way first rinse it for hours with clean/plain water, then I make tea in them, with some more with some less times. According these experience I put them online.

An old teapot could be like a master tool, a good friend, a vessel that will absorb all those good feelings during endless tea ‘session’.

They are not alive some might say still I have several weird experience with them. Like one from recent time when a friend brought a teapot I sold him, a one that I used for some time, I really liked it.

When he pulls out this teapot from his bag is like meeting a girlfriend I let go. A strange shiver went through me a like a cold breeze. It’s like her saying mockingly “Hello you glad you see me again?”.