Research On The Design Of Mansheng Teapots

With the interesting combination of metal and stone with the culture and craft,Mansheng teapots has significantly influenced Zisha art in the middle and late Qing Dynasty.Starting from the correlation between epigraphy and Zisha art,this paper discusses the context of creation and communication of Mansheng teapot through macroscopic discussion and microscopic analysis,and makes a comprehensive analysis of the ontology such as shape,craft,inscription and decoration.It not only pays attention to the visual elements at the design level,such as modeling and decoration,but also investigates the internal connection between the integration of literary mind and craftsman’s mind,such as process characteristics,production and cooperation paradigm.The method of the mix of utensil morphology and ergonomics,combining with the research and the real objects,is applied to analyze the whole process of the deep fusion of Mansheng teapots with epigraphy to study the relationship among the extraction,design,production,communication and epigraphy of Mansheng teapots.Epigraphy has the characteristics of comprehensiveness and multi-disciplinary integration,which makes Zisha develop towards the trend of melting and casting a variety of artistic styles in the aspects of shape and structure,inscription and decoration.The heavy epigraphic meaning is an important cultural feature that distinguishes Zisha from other handicrafts.The shape of Mansheng teapots mimics metal and stone utensils,with simple details and delicate overall modeling.Without mold,it is made up of all handmade clay plates and t-shaped structure,etc.,which maximizes the characteristics of Zisha material and reflects the artistic view of natural interest.The shape and inscription "shape and meaning together" reflects the creative thinking and understanding of the literati.Taking epigraphy as the model,the inscriptions are engraved with calligraphy and painting,which gives meaning to the teapots.The shape and implied meaning,the interest and charm of epigraphy,and the tea culture are all integrated into the figurative meaning.The spread of Mansheng teapots is closely related to the study of epigraphy.Pengnian Yang cooperated extensively with the literati in epigraphy painting and calligraphy circle to popularize Mansheng teapots paradigm,which was followed by Yucheng kiln and the further evolved.As another part of the teapots,teapots rubbings became a new artistic fun in the calligraphy and painting circle of epigraphy through subsequent preface and postscript,painting,which derived Mansheng teapotss rubbings appreciated,spread and accepted like that from epigraphy.From being influenced to getting integrated together,Mansheng teapots transformed the cultural symbols on the metal and stone utensils into Zisha language in the shape,inscription and decoration,followed the recording method of epigraphy in mappings,teapots rubbings and recording.Through the circle of epigraphy culture,Mansheng teapot was spread to a wider level.With the observation of the teapot,people’s mind is raised to the top level of Tao.This study focuses on the systematization of Zisha cultural ecology,and discusses the artistic concept and paradigm of Mansheng teapot by placing Zisha in the long Chinese tradition of epigraphy creation.The two veins of ancient artefacts and epigraphs in the study of epigraphy are extracted to sort out the shape,structure,inscription and decoration of Zisha,which broadens the field of study of Zisha and excavates the cultural implication of Zisha art.