How a Chinese Teapot Fetched $2 Million

BEIJING— In addition to a cultivated taste for tea, the Chinese also have a penchant for teapots. Last month, a 1948 purple clay Yixing zisha teapot by the master ceramicist Gu Jingzhou sold for nearly $2 million at a China Guardian auction in Beijing, topping the list of the most expensive Yixing teapots in the world.

A living legend at almost 100 years old, Gu has honed a sophisticated craftsmanship that can measure up to that of Ming court artisans of the 14th century. This teapot is made from a clay that can only be found in the town of Yixing in China, where the zisha clay usually comes in five natural colors — of which purple is the rarest, containing no lead but a variety of minerals that are healthy for tea drinkers.

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