Works represented by Chen Mayuan's realistic flower-form pieces, together with zisha teapots decorated through various methods such as colored glazes, gold painting, appliqué, and clay painting, jointly constructed the luxurious beauty of Yixing zisha during the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong periods. During the Jiaqing and Daoguang years, the active participation of numerous literati in the zisha production process—including Chen Mansheng, Guo Pinjia, Qu Yingshao, Zhu Shigan, and later Wu Dacheng and Mei Tiaoyi—transformed the aesthetic orientation of zisha wares from admiring external splendor and brilliance toward pursuing inner elegance and refined spirit. They organically integrated elements of poetry, calligraphy, painting, and seal carving from traditional culture with the physical forms of zisha, elevating the cultural depth and humanistic sentiment of zisha works. Gradually, a simple and elegant aesthetic orientation became mainstream. Plain zisha wares increasingly won the favor of the world, and the pursuit of strength and refined transitions in plain wares also brought the level of handcrafted technique to a qualitative elevation. Shao Daheng became the ultimate representative of this era. Shao Daheng, a renowned potter of the Qing Jiaqing and Daoguang periods, was from Dingshu Shangyuan (present-day Chuanbu Shangyuan Village) and was another legendary figure in the history of Qing dynasty zisha. His techniques were profound, his works simple and unadorned yet substantial, with extraordinary bearing that manifested the essential beauty of the clay itself. The Qing scholar Gao Zhong wrote in *Yanghu Shuo* (On Teapots): > "Shao Daheng's strength lies not in a single style but in elegance. He excels at imitating antiquity, striving to match the ancients—surpassing them rather than falling short." Gu Jingzhou also particularly admired Shao Daheng's artistic style: > His brilliant masterpieces possess both philosophical depth and aesthetic beauty. When artists observe and appreciate them, it is like receiving enlightenment poured from above, penetrating heart and mind; when collectors obtain and cherish them, they treasure them more than jade discs, unable to let them go.[1] From the late Qing through the Republican period, accompanied by the influence of Western capitalist commodity economy trends, many privately-owned zisha workshops and professional trading houses emerged in Yixing. In the second year of the Xuantong reign (1910), the Yixing Yangxian Pottery Company and the Yixing Products Association participated in the First Nanyang Industrial Exposition. In the fourth year of the Republic (1915), products from the Lishan Liyong Company won first prize at the Panama International Exhibition. Subsequently, Yixing zisha participated in the Philadelphia Exposition in the United States, the International Exposition in Belgium, and the International Art Exhibitions in Chicago and London, with multiple works winning awards. This expanded Yixing zisha's international reputation and brought forth masters such as Huang Yulin, Cheng Shouzhen, and Yu Guoliang. --- [1] Gu Jingzhou, "An Overview of Zisha Pottery History," in *Appreciation of Yixing Zisha*, ed. Gu Jingzhou (Hong Kong: Joint Publishing (H.K.) Co., Ltd., January 1992), 17.