Chen Mansheng's pot designs

Chen Mansheng was a magistrate who lived during the later part of the Qing dynasty. Chen was a vivid enthusiast of the Yixing pots, could be due to his love of Chinese tea. People who like a cup of Chinese tea knows that the best way to brew the tea is to brew it using a Yixing pot.

Chen was a teapot fanatic. He used to frequent Yixing to meet up with the potters and also to search for good pots. Later he came up with 18 designs of Yixing pots which later became the Mansheng's 18 styles. He then commissioned famous potters such as Yang Pengnien and his sister to make these pots for him. The Mansheng's pots (the pots designed by Mansheng) are widely copied by potters these days. The legendary Gu Zingzhou made 5 of Mansheng's pot in the 50s for his close friends (famous artists) and they also engraved on the pots. One of the pot was auctioned in 2011 for over 10 millions RMB. These pots are highly sough after due to the potter's fame and the engraving which was done by great artists of the time.

 

Here is the famous Mansheng's pot that most potters like to copy and make. The one that Gu made in the 60s.