(1980–1996) Among these works, the "Bamboo Shoot-Shaped Water Vessel" and "Dragon Handle Phoenix Spout Teapot" were created by Gu Jingzhou in the late 1930s at the request of Shanghai antique dealers, imitating the works of Chen Mingyuan. The "Bamboo Shoot-Shaped Water Vessel" has a delicate body texture, shaped like a horizontal bamboo shoot with a plump form. Six bamboo shoot sheaths wrap tightly together, with fine veins clearly and naturally rendered. The root section is depicted with remarkable lifelikeness, insect damage marks appear naturally, and the spout function is also reasonable—truly a work of extraordinary craftsmanship. The "Dragon Handle Phoenix Spout Teapot" features a spout shaped like a phoenix head, a handle formed as a beast ring, and both sides of the pot belly shaped like wings, presenting a dignified and upright appearance. These two works are now housed separately in the Nanjing Museum and the Palace Museum. ## Exquisite Carving, Unity of Form and Content Zisha pottery carving is a decorative technique that engraves text or images on the surface of Yixing pottery vessels. Although carved decoration has frequently appeared on ceramics throughout history since the Neolithic period, it has flourished with particular brilliance on Yixing Zisha pottery. Early Zisha pottery carving primarily consisted of incised text, mainly used to record essential information such as the maker's name and date. These signature-style carved marks by the maker were typically inscribed on the reverse handle or bottom of the vessel, such as the Ming dynasty "Ruyi Pattern Lid Da Bin Teapot" (with "Da Bin" carved on the reverse handle) and the "Archaistic Fan-Shaped Tripod Teapot" (with characters carved on the bottom). --- [1] Gu Jingzhou, *Appreciation of Yixing Zisha Pottery*, Hong Kong: Joint Publishing (H.K.) Co., Ltd., January 1992 edition, p. 42.