Customer Reviews

The Beauty of Chinese Yixing Teapots: And the Finer Arts of Tea Drinking

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This is a real stunner for anyone who has a penchant for YiXing teapots. When I received this lovely work as a Christmas gift, I was so stunned, I almost cried. Lim Kean Siew is obviously a great lover of these unique teapots and this book does a beautiful job of displaying that love. The photos are perfectly lit, show fine detail and make you really want each teapot! But, sorry, all of the teapots pictured are from his private collection. He does a nice job of describing his early tea experiences, his budding appreciation of YiXing teapots and the history of where they originated. I found the duel printing of his words in both english and chinese very welcome and helped to set the 'atmosphere' of this book. And, since you purchase one of these teapots for both use and artistic beauty, he displays gorgeous teapot images from his private collection with a recommendation of the precise tea best enjoyed in that teapot. While not all that useful (the recommendations), the photos are certainly stunning 'eye candy'. From the very first teapot pictured, I simply wanted to own each and every one. After his gallery of teapots he describes how to enjoy tea properly. He goes into enough detail to satisfy any YiXing teapot enthusist. My only complaints (if you can call them that): the teapots pictured are one of a kind so tea recommendations are not very helpful, the translation from Chinese to English could be a little bit better and I think the editor should have pared some of the rambling (the tests at the end maybe?). But, I assure you, this is a very nice book that would make a great conversation piece.

After exhaustive enquiries by both myself and my family, i have finally got a hold of this book. my brother found it, by chance, in a chinese tea shop in penang. the shop had 2 copies left - 1 that he had autographed. they sold me the other one.
A beautiful book, everything i expected and more. As a lover of chinese teas, I found Mr Lim's thoughts both unique and sensible. Not all chinese tea conossieurs may agree with his views but nonetheless, this is a book written with both passion and authority.

In this book, the author is looking at the relationship between Yixing pots and Chinese tea from a new point of view based on his experiments. Yixing pots are unglazed stone ware only made in Yixing, China. Tea lovers have been treasuring those pots for hundreds of years, not only for their artistic value, but also for their practical side, the pots enhances the flavour of tea. His theory is a Yixing pot speaks for itself--a pot chooses tea to be made. The book includes plenty of beautiful pictures of Yixing pots and the explanations about his experiments. His efforts definitely brings the art of drinking Chinese tea to the new heights. I just wanted little more reading parts. But this is a beautiful book by all means and I recommend everybody who loves tea.

Beautifully produced volume with quality paper and superb photography of very numerous,well chosen Yixing teapots. The author explores the relationship of teas and how the taste is effected by specific teapots. Quite a revelation. One can return to it over and over. If drinking tea and viewing masterfully produced Yixing teapots are meaningful to you, this volume is a must.

I have scoured bookstores for a hardcopy, I found this book is really hard to come by. Chinatown? I work in SF, what places are you talkin' about?

Rather than sending people on wild goose chases for low prices that don't exist, better if you just said you liked the book.

I will, the book is a classic with wonderful photographs, warmth and detail. The discussion about the relation between teapot and tea is a subtlety, like many details of Asian style tea brewing, that is virtually unknown to Westerners.

This is a classic book for collectors and connoisseurs.
And if anyone is going to reproduce it, I have not heard of such a plan. What a tweaker.

I can't find this book anywhere on the web!!!!!!!! It's such a lovely book, WHY DOESN'T ANY PLACE HAVE IT!!!!!!! Really dont understand how the business world is going...

Interesting book but would be a mistake think it's just a collection of Yixing teapots'photos.
Author develops his ideas about an "affinity" between teas and "not glazed" teapots like Yixing's.
Some ideas are good some others arguable but this book worth a reading.

Superb photos of superb teapots. This book made me realize that the pots I was buying are junk. You'll have to save up for real Yixing. Some historical background. Some of the text is wasted on the author's odd tea theories, but it is amusing reading. The book is reasonably priced considering the esoteric subject and outstanding photography. The craft and beauty of Yixing is simply breathtaking. I wish there were good books available detailing the history and the artisans who currently make this teaware.