The 11th episode of the "Jiangsu Culture" series micro-documentary, titled "The 
Magic of Orient Mud", and jointly produced by the Information Office of the 
Jiangsu Provincial People's Government, has been released. When mud is infused 
with "magic" and blends with human wisdom, aesthetics, and emotions, it becomes 
the carrier of a culture passed down for thousands of years. This episode 
adopts a multi-threaded narrative structure, connecting the overall context by 
documenting the daily stories of several skilled Yixing purple clay craftsmen. 
It provides a complete showcase of the craftsmanship behind making purple clay 
teapots, which involves several processes such as clay preparation, kneading, 
sculpting, and firing, revealing the humanistic power behind the "magic".

In Yixing, a craft has been passed down from generation to generation. It 
injects wisdom, ingenuity, and oriental aesthetics into the earth, magically 
creating an amazing vessel, Zisha teapot (the purple clay teapot). The making 
of Zisha teapot takes several steps: knock, clap, stick, close. The biggest 
secret of the purple clay teapot is in the mineral materials that are ground 
into fine powder. Huanglong Mountain, Dingshu Town, the hill boasts the raw 
materials of the Zisha teapot. The iron content in the minerals determines the 
final color and texture of the purple clay. After selection, qualified mineral 
materials have to go through three processes of grinding, sieving, and drying 
before being turned into purple clay for teapots. 

The to-be-finished Zisha teapot requires the last process-fire. The ancient 
kiln was built bottom-up on the hill, like a crouching loong in sleep. Hence, 
the name of the Loong kiln. However, the modernization advances the technology 
of kiln firing. Electric kilns and gas kilns, more efficient and precise, have 
gradually replaced traditional Loong kilns. Zisha teapots sit in the fire at a 
temperature of 1,200 degrees Celsius.

Zisha teapot is born for tea and thrives on teapot. They both come out of the 
earth and then bond intimately. The earth under our feet, through the wisdom of 
craftsmen, is turned into art works, which are passed down through generation.

Source: The Information Office of the Jiangsu Provincial People's Government

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   Link: https://iop.asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=441705

   Caption: The Magic of Orient Mud, the 11th episode of the "Jiangsu Culture"