Purple clay is a kind of very special clay. It is exclusively produced in Jiangnan, a place in China
It is said that very long time ago, one day there was a monk came to Jiangnan. He wandered around the town and shouted loudly. “Offering clay that can make one rich!” The villagers were so curious and followed the monk. They walked and walked and came to the end of the village. The monk was then suddenly disappeared and couldn’t be found anymore.
The villagers found some five-colors-clay at the place where the monk disappeared. After beating and burning of this special clay, it was so amazing that the villagers could shape them into different colors and very unique potteries.
They were indeed the purple clay potteries nowadays.
Purple clay mine was formed 3.5 hundred millions years ago, in the geological age of Paleozoic Devonian. In China
Purple clay is known as “Five-colors-clay”, with colors purple, white, yellow, black and green. The colors are bright, simple but tasteful.
The purple clay utensils are having a smooth bright surface carrying some small particles, making them a sandy effect. That’s why the purple clay is also named as Zisha clay (sha is meaning of sand in Chinese).
The purple clay utensils are smooth with natural glossiness, thus no glazing is needed. Nevertheless, after a long time usage, the texture of the surface will become more warm and moisturized like “Jade”.
Since purple clay cannot be mixed by water directly, for pottery making, the traditional methods of grouting or wheel forming are not appropriated to be used. It can only be fabricated by hand-made! Such craftsmanship has been developed and accumulated by experience in China
