What are the distinctive features of a machine-made teapot?
2 Answers
The distinctive features of a machine-made teapot include tool marks from blade retraction, etc. Blade Retraction Marks: The first generation of machine-made teapots was formed by blade extrusion, while the second generation was formed by rolling and shearing. Therefore, the first-generation teapots inevitably bear blade retraction marks, whereas the second-generation ones do not. These marks on the first-generation teapots can be observed with the naked eye and felt by hand (by pressing firmly on this area). Although some machine-made teapots may undergo wall scraping and base smoothing to conceal these marks, careful manual inspection can still detect them. Wrinkled Base: A wrinkled base is a characteristic feature of second-generation machine-made teapots, as they are formed by rolling and shearing. During the production of second-generation teapots, the rolling head rotates at high speed. After the teapot body is formed, the rolling head performs an upward lifting motion. At this point, the base of the teapot experiences an upward pulling force due to stress effects. When the teapot is turned over, the base appears wrinkled. The finer the clay and the larger the base, the more pronounced the wrinkles, making this feature easier to observe and identify. Mold Lines: Both semi-handmade and machine-made teapots require the use of plaster molds. However, for semi-handmade teapots, the plaster molds are only secured with a hoop, leaving relatively wide gaps between the molds. As a result, the mold lines left on semi-handmade teapots after manual shaping are usually wider and flatter. In contrast, machine-made teapots, regardless of their size, use molds of consistent dimensions because they must fit into the machine's base. The gaps between these molds are very small, so the mold lines left on machine-made teapots are typically finer and narrower, differing significantly from those on semi-handmade teapots. Area Below the Inner Rim of the Lid Seat: For both semi-handmade and machine-made teapots, press-fit lids and cut-off lids are made using a three-part mold. However, for snap-fit lids, machine-made teapots still use a three-part mold, while semi-handmade ones use a four- or five-part mold. Therefore, the area below the inner rim of the lid seat on a machine-made teapot is very smooth, with no tool marks. In contrast, semi-handmade teapots require the application of slip clay below the inner rim of the lid seat, followed by tool processing. This leaves obvious tool marks below the inner rim, a feature absent in machine-made teapots. Vertical Seam Lines and Their Concavity: Machine-made teapots are formed as a single piece, so their inner walls are very smooth, without vertical seam lines or concavity. However, semi-handmade and fully handmade teapots are made by first creating a clay slab, which is then wrapped, diagonally cut, coated with slip clay, and joined. Fully handmade teapots are shaped by beating the body, while semi-handmade ones are placed in molds and shaped by hand and tools. As a result, both fully and semi-handmade teapots inevitably bear vertical seam lines. To obscure this, machine-made teapots may undergo wall scraping and base smoothing, making this identifying feature less obvious at times. However, manual inspection can still reveal a noticeable concavity, a feature not present in machine-made teapots.
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