Chen Youshi from Pingtan displays his collected Zisha teapot in front of a curio shelf.

Chen Youshi’s Zisha “Treasure Gallery” is tucked away inside an attic down an alley. An endless array of artworks is a feast for the eyes. In his free time, Chen likes staying in the attic, dusting, nurturing, listening to Chinese classical music, and relishing the silent interaction with his delicate tea wares.

In Chen Youshi's eyes, the Zisha teapot is derived from the core within an ore , and is unadulterated in nature. It absorbs water quickly and has superb air permeability. Zisha brings out natural fragrance in tea-making and tea water remains unspoiled overnight. The ware features the utmost quality of genuineness. From tending and partaking the infused drink from the pot, tea connoisseurs ultimately inherit the same spirit from the art.

Speaking of the connection with the Zisha teapot, Chen Youshi said that it was not out of a whim. Their story can be dated back to the 1970s when Pingtan was designated as a mooring port for Taiwan ships. Not far from the port, Chen ran an artware store, and the Zisha teapot was one of the best-selling products.

Day by day, he grew a special liking for Zisha teapot. For pots with distinctive artistic connotations, Chen Youshi would keep them for collection. According to Chen Youshi, he has collected nearly hundreds of exquisite Zisha teapots from masters of various dynasties spanning nearly 700 years.

Today, Chen Youshi has been recognized as an appraiser and a senior researcher. In January 2020, he won the "2019 Art Collection Elite Award" issued by the Chinese Culture and Art Talent Pool.

He hopes that an association dedicated to Zisha culture and research will be established in Pingtan to provide a platform for knowledge sharing and the inheritance of the art.

The three teapots below from Chen Youshi’s collection:

Handmade Wooden Stake Pot during Xianfeng period in Qing Dynasty(A.D.1851-1861)

Frog on Lotus Leaf Pot: an advanced art pot of Jiang Rong, a master of Chinese arts and crafts. The handmade pot is in the shape of a lotus leaf with a frog on it, lifelike.

Longevity Pot: purely hand molded from old ore vermilion mud. The teapot's round mouth and square base reveals a revelation about life- as a famous Chinese saying goes, "To be 'square' is sticking to principle, the foundation of being human; to be ‘round’ is having a strategy, an approach to life." This is the true meaning of values and outlook on life.

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