Preface: I can't come up with any words to describe him. Yet I know that no matter how magnificent the words are, they are not excessive when used to describe his works. He is an insurmountable mountain in the history of purple clay.
Chen Mingyuan: The Man and His Art.
(1) Cultural Accomplishment and Artistic Style
Chen Mingyuan was born into a purple clay family and was influenced by purple clay art since childhood. He had close contacts with many literati and scholars, such as Wang Keting, a painter from Tongxiang, Yang Zhongne, a famous scholar from Haining, and Cao Lianrang, a scholar. Through communicating with these literati, Chen Mingyuan's cultural accomplishment was greatly enhanced. His works have a style that is both quaint and elegant as well as natural and realistic. For example, his imitations of ancient ritual vessels such as jue, gu, and ding are exquisitely crafted with high taste and full of ancient charm, showing profound historical and cultural connotations. At the same time, he is good at drawing inspiration from nature and creating lifelike works like water chestnuts, lentils, peanuts, etc., vividly presenting the natural ecology of fruits and vegetables.
(2) Impact of Artistic Achievements
Chen Mingyuan has had a significant and far-reaching influence on the development of purple clay art. He expanded the artistic categories of purple clay pottery. In addition to the traditional pots, cups, bottles, and boxes, he also designed and made many refined stationery items such as brush holders, pen rests, bamboo shoot-shaped water basins, tripods, and goblets. These works have unique shapes and are delicate and charming. They are not only stationery items but also objects for artistic appreciation. His close cooperation with literati has brought elegant cultural connotations to purple clay works. He initiated the trend of engraving poems and inscriptions on the body of pots, using both engraved inscriptions and seals for signatures. He introduced the decorative art forms of traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy into the production process of purple clay teapots, greatly enhancing the artistic and cultural values of purple clay teapots. For example, his melon-shaped pot, originally named pumpkin pot, has the poem "Modeled after the style of Dongling, filled with fragrance as pure as snow" engraved on its body. The engraved regular script signature is "Mingyuan", and there is a square seal with the Yang script seal character "Chen Mingyuan". It is now in the Nanjing Museum. Chen Mingyuan's artistic achievements were highly praised at that time. "People overseas competed to obtain Mingyuan's dishes." Moreover, his achievements have had a profound impact on the development of purple clay art in later generations.
Appreciation of the Characteristics of ZiSha Teapots
(1) Materials and Shapes
The purple-clay teapots of Chen Mingyuan are made of fine and smooth materials with pure clay quality. They can never be made of coarse-grained clay. His works have diverse and unique shapes. There are works inspired by natural forms, such as the pumpkin pot and the "Three Friends of Firewood" pot. These imitate the flowers, plants, trees, fruits, vegetables, birds, beasts, fish and insects in nature, vivid and lively and full of beauty, pioneering the later "floral ware". There are also non-natural-shaped teapots. For example, the square-handled teapot by Chen Mingyuan collected in the Shanghai Museum has a simple and unadorned shape with inscriptions. The four feet at the bottom are cylindrical, the knob of the cover is a straight perforation, and the signature is "Yuan". It is also one of his representative works with a square seal engraving "Chen Mingyuan".
(2) Inscriptions and Seals
The inscriptions engraved by Chen Mingyuan have an elegant and vigorous calligraphy style with the flavor of the Jin and Tang dynasties. One can get a general idea from the inscriptions on the pumpkin pot and the melon and fruit pot. His calligraphy inscriptions add an elegant and implicit beauty to his works. Seals are also an important basis for identifying the authenticity of purple-clay wares, but they need to be analyzed comprehensively. In the 1920s and 1930s, antique dealers used sealing wax to make imprints on old pots. After the wax hardened, they stamped the imprints on imitations. The seals imitated by modern computer technology can be completely indistinguishable from the real ones. In addition, there are also cases where later generations use the real seals of predecessors. The signatures after Chen Mingyuan's works are often "Mingyuan", "Chen Yuan", "Imitated by Mingyuan", etc.
(3) Characteristic Inscriptions
The inscriptions on the body of Chen Mingyuan's purple-clay teapots are the key and characteristic for identifying authenticity. The inscriptions are divided into two types: self-inscribed inscriptions by Chen Mingyuan and inscriptions engraved in cooperation with literati. The self-inscribed inscriptions are simple and plain or related to the teapot and tea, elegant and implicit, such as "In the midsummer of Bingwu year, Mingyuan imitates the ancient style." The inscriptions engraved in cooperation with literati are more culturally connotative. For example, the running script inscription on the belted pot in cooperation with Cao Lianrang: "A pot of clear tea, ten thousand volumes of books, bright windows and clean tables, what a joy." The signature is "Lianzhai". These inscriptions are short and concise, often giving people wisdom and inspiration, integrating pot art, tea tasting and the elegant sentiment of literati, greatly enhancing the artistic and cultural values of purple-clay teapots.
Guide to Identification Methods
(1) Analysis of Pattern Contents
Chen Mingyuan had close associations with literati and scholars and possessed considerable cultural attainment. The inscriptions on his works are either relevant to the teapot and tea, elegant and reserved, or simple and plain. For example, the inscription on the pumpkin teapot is relevant to the teapot and tea, showing great elegance. Another example is the red - clay teapot unearthed in Zhangpu County, Fujian Province in 1990, with the inscription "In the midsummer of Bingwu year, Mingyuan imitates the ancient style", which is simple yet full of charm. This unique pattern content reflects that Chen Mingyuan's realm is far beyond that of ordinary craftsmen and provides an important basis for identifying his purple - clay teapots.
(2) Identification of Engraved - Inscription Calligraphy
The engraved - inscription calligraphy of Chen Mingyuan has been highly praised throughout the ages, being "elegant and vigorous" and "in the style of the Jin and Tang dynasties". From the inscriptions on the pumpkin teapot and the melon - fruit teapot, one can get a glimpse of the unique charm of his calligraphy. This elegant and vigorous engraved - inscription calligraphy not only adds artistic value to the works but also plays a crucial role in identification. Through the analysis of the style, stroke momentum, etc. of the engraved - inscription calligraphy, one can preliminarily judge whether the purple - clay teapot is made by Chen Mingyuan.
(3) Key Points for Seal Identification
Seals are one of the important bases for identifying the authenticity of purple - clay wares, but replicating seals is not difficult. In the 1920s and 1930s, antique dealers used sealing wax to make rubbings on old teapots and then stamped them on imitations. Although the imprints are similar, they are slightly smaller. Modern computer technology can even produce seals that are indistinguishable from the real ones. In addition, there are also cases where later generations use the real seals of predecessors. For example, the "Aman Tuo Shi" seal and the "Pengnian" seal of Yang Pengnian in the Qing Dynasty, and the "Bing Xin Dao Ren" seal of Cheng Shouzhen in modern times. Therefore, when identifying Chen Mingyuan's purple - clay teapots, one cannot rely solely on seals. Comprehensive analysis must be carried out in combination with other factors such as pattern contents, engraved - inscription calligraphy, color, and signature format.
(4) Judgment of Color Authenticity
Due to being touched by hands and nourished by tea over a long period of time, Chen Mingyuan's aged purple - clay teapots will have a dull luster or natural tea stains and smudges. Forgeries, in pursuit of an "old" effect, are sometimes smeared with pigments or oils. Some new teapots are processed on the surface and then soaked in strong tea or even artificially prepared color solutions to quickly color the new teapots and pass them off as old ones. For such forgeries, they are not difficult to be seen through as long as one observes carefully. During identification, one should observe whether the color of the teapot is natural and warm, and whether there are unnatural smearing marks or overly bright colors.
(5) Confirmation of Signature Format
The signatures after Chen Mingyuan's works are commonly "Mingyuan", "Chen Yuan", "Mingyuan imitates", etc. The signatures of purple - clay ware makers are mostly "so - and - so", "made by so - and - so", and engravers usually sign "engraved by so - and - so". Understanding Chen Mingyuan's signature format is helpful for quickly identifying the authenticity of the works during identification. During the identification process, if the signature format is found to be inconsistent with the common signatures of Chen Mingyuan, one should be vigilant and make a comprehensive judgment in combination with other identification points.
Value and Significance of Collection
(1) Artistic Value
Chen Mingyuan's purple-clay teapots are unique in terms of artistic value. Their shapes are rich and diverse. Whether it is the naturally shaped pumpkin pot, "Three Friends of Firewood" pot, or the non-natural square-handled teapot, they all show superb craftsmanship and unique aesthetics. The works inspired by natural forms vividly imitate everything in nature, full of life interest and artistic appeal. The non-natural teapots pursue the beauty of simplicity in shape, reflecting Chen Mingyuan's innovation and breakthrough in traditional vessel shapes.
The inscriptions on the teapots add profound cultural connotations. The self-inscribed inscriptions are simple and plain or related to the teapot and tea, elegant and implicit. The inscriptions engraved in cooperation with literati are even more culturally profound, perfectly integrating pot art and the elegance of literati. These inscriptions not only endow the works with unique artistic value but also become an important basis for later generations to study the cultural features of that time.
In addition, the production process of Chen Mingyuan's purple-clay teapots is fine. The materials are fine and smooth, and the clay quality is pure. From material selection to shaping, every link is infused with the artist's painstaking efforts, making the works reach an extremely high level in texture and quality.
(2) Market Value
Chen Mingyuan's works have always attracted much attention in the auction market and have repeatedly set high prices. The "Chuanxiang Pot" was sold for 34.5 million yuan at the Poly Huayi Autumn Auction in 2016, becoming the most expensive square-shaped purple-clay teapot and also refreshing the auction record of Chen Mingyuan's works. The "Plain Belt Pot" was sold for 31.625 million yuan at the 2015 Spring Auction of Beijing Poly. The purple-clay "Dingmao Pot" made by Chen Mingyuan for Yang Zhongne in the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty was sold at a price of 27.6 million yuan. These high-priced transaction records fully prove the extremely high recognition of Chen Mingyuan's purple-clay teapots in the market.
In addition, works such as the pumpkin pot, the purple-clay "Squirrel and Persimmon Pot", and the black-clay "Waist-Restrained Pot" inscribed with "Lianzhai" made by Chen Mingyuan in the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty have also been sold at considerable prices. These auction data not only reflect the market value of Chen Mingyuan's purple-clay teapots but also show the high recognition of the art quality of his works by the collection market.
(3) Significance of Collection
The collection of Chen Mingyuan's purple-clay teapots is of great significance. First of all, it is a rare art treasure. As a master of purple clay in the early Qing Dynasty, Chen Mingyuan's works represent the highest level of purple clay art at that time. Whether in terms of shape design, inscription engraving or production process, they all show outstanding artistic achievements.
Secondly, Chen Mingyuan's purple-clay teapots are witnesses of history and culture. It carries the cultural features, literati aesthetics and social fashions of the early Qing Dynasty. Through collecting Chen Mingyuan's purple-clay teapots, one can deeply understand the historical background and cultural connotations of that time and feel the charm of traditional culture.
Finally, Chen Mingyuan's purple-clay teapots have high investment value. With the passage of time and the development of the market, their value is expected to continuously increase. For collectors, collecting Chen Mingyuan's purple-clay teapots is not only an artistic enjoyment but also a potential investment choice.
