Discover the Aromatic Beauty
Of One of China's Best Known Arts
A Special Lecture At The Bowers Museum

Santa Ana, California

     Since the Ming Dynasty, scholars have valued teapots created from the clay found at Yixing, which is believed to best retain the aroma and flavor of tea. On July 16, 2000, Terese Bartholomew, Curator of Himalayan Art and Chinese Decorative Art at the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, revealed the simplicity and variety of forms of these unglazed wares in an afternoon lecture entitled, "The Naturalistic Tradition of Yixing Teaware." At this exclusive Bowers Museum engagement, Bartholomew explained the production methods, tools and kilns used in the creation of this Chinese art form, as well as the history of tea-drinking in China.

     Also known as "purple clay" teapots, Yixing teapots are one of the best known expressions of the Chinese Arts. First made in Yixing, a town about 100 miles west of Shanghai, the teapots became famous during the Ming Dynasty (14-16th Century). Borrowing themes from nature and mythology, the vessels range from austere to capricious. Aristocratic collectors commissioned the best potters to make custom teapots, onto the artisan's personal chop, a mark of pride and craftsmanship.

     The teapots are not only prized for their beauty, but for their ability to augment the flavor and aroma of brewed tea. They are made from a special local clay that allows the finished vessel to preserve the freshness and color of tea even overnight. Collectors often rinse the pots with tea to enhance their appearance.

About The Lecturer

     Terese Bartholomew received her M.A. on History of Chinese Art from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she also studied Indian art from the late J. LeRoy Davidson. From 1969 to 1996, she was Curator of Indian Art at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, where she is currently the Curator of Himalayan Art and Chinese Decorative Art. She has curated numerous exhibitions both at the Asian Art Museum and elsewhere, the most recent one being "Mongolia: The Legacy of Chinggis Khan," and has written on the following subjects: Yixing ware, Indian sculpture, Sino-Tibetan Art, Chinese Floral Motifs, and Chinese Symbolism and Rebuses.

Please visit the Bowers Museum web site at www.bowers.org.