Sometimes repairs can make the original better, for example here, with this little lid that was broken
This is a very old technique that is no longer practiced, except for perhaps a few old people in China and Japan. They are, essentially, nails that sink their teeth into the clay and keeps two parts together. Of course, you need a clean line and not a messy break with lots of little pieces, but if you have that clean line, it is actually possible to piece the thing back together without too much agony. The result almost improves on the original and gives the pot an aesthetic that it would not have on its own.
10 responses so far ↓
Chris // November 3, 2011 at 9:32 pm |
Wow – how do they get the staples in without cracking the clay even more? It looks like it would shatter easily – do they heat it or something?
MarshalN // November 3, 2011 at 10:22 pm |
I don’t know how it’s done, to be honest. However, I can tell you that on the inside of the lid you don’t see the staples
Clould Mountain // November 3, 2011 at 10:44 pm |
That’s really cool!
I just used a epoxy on my lid. Non-toxic of course.
http://cloudmountaintea.blogspot.com/2011/09/mindfulness.html
MarshalN // November 3, 2011 at 10:54 pm |
I don’t have the skills to glue them right.
ira // November 3, 2011 at 10:48 pm |
Zhang Yi Mou’s “the road home” had shown how a broken bowl was repaired similarly, by drilling tiny holes.
lz, is this an old repair or newly repaired? i have a beloved pot that i would love to have the lid fixed…i even thought of asking my dentist for some glue 🙂
MarshalN // November 3, 2011 at 10:54 pm |
Old repair, alas.
Chris // November 6, 2011 at 5:14 pm |
Beautiful yixing teapot, and an enlightening post!
My favorite yixing pot was sadly broken beyond any kind of repair recently – I miss that pot! I’m definitely going to be on the lookout for a new favourite after reading your blog!
Thanks for sharing!
Su Ming Ng // November 6, 2011 at 9:32 pm |
Where can I get that done ? I’ve got a pot with a broken lid just like that !
MarshalN // November 7, 2011 at 8:40 am |
Alas, I don’t know. I remember seeing some video awhile back that has an old man demonstrating it, and he made it clear that very few people now know how to do what he was doing. Basically, nobody does anymore.
Small pots | A Tea Addict's Journal // November 24, 2011 at 10:05 am |
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