## Preparing the Clay Gu Jingzhou believed that mastering the properties of clay materials was essential foundational knowledge for purple clay creation and production. He made this requirement of his students: "In our production knowledge, we should understand some of the scientific principles of clay materials." Therefore, Gu Jingzhou placed particular emphasis on the most fundamental and critical role of clay materials in the forming process of purple clay wares. He believed: "The greatest characteristic of purple clay is determined by its raw materials and its forming method... All kinds of forms are in the hands, and success is achieved with bare hands. This is the characteristic of its raw materials." ## Wedging Clay by Hand: Ge Taozhong From the wedging of clay, Gu Jingzhou paid special attention to kneading the clay through correct posture and direction of force, making the clay layers extend uniformly and orderly, increasing the toughness of the clay coils. In 1980, when Gu Jingzhou designed and made the "Gu Fan Teapot," his disciple Ge Taozhong helped with some foundational work. When wedging the clay, because red clay is relatively soft and crumbly and not easy to form, Master Gu specially demonstrated how to properly wedge the more crumbly red clay. Ge Taozhong still clearly remembers to this day, "For this, I wedged for three whole days." Regarding Master Gu's rigorous technical requirements, his students were all deeply impressed: "He (Gu Jingzhou) could tell from the sound (whether the movements and force met the standard requirements)."[1] In Gu Jingzhou's view, whether the clay coils were beaten well was the key to making teapots. In practice, one must fully follow the characteristics of the clay material. When using a mallet to beat clay coils and clay slabs, one should use the gravitational force of the mallet to strike, maintaining the clay... --- [1] Gu Jingzhou (lecturer), Pan Chiping (recorder and compiler): *Technical Course Preparation Notes*, 1981 [2] Wuxi Radio and Television Station: *Purple Clay Master Gu Jingzhou* (CD), 2010 [3] Ibid. [4] Edited by Guo Yunxiang: *Interviews with Purple Clay Masters*, Beijing: Cultural Relics Publishing House, April 2008 edition, p. 178