The answer, however, is negative. Investigating the reasons, we believe that perhaps there was never a formal apprenticeship ceremony held between Gu Jingzhou and Chu Ming, and this seemingly "formal" ritual was something that the old master artisans of the past valued most highly as a standard. In the creative process of Yixing pottery, form can be replicated, and details can be imitated, but the fluency of execution and the penetration of spirit constitute an insurmountable chasm. This fluency and penetration are manifestations of the artist's life experience, solid foundation, cultural cultivation, and composed magnanimity—they are reproductions of emotional vicissitudes. In his later years, Gu Jingzhou recalled his artistic career in this way: > Those engaged in any art form go through three stages. Painters are like this, calligraphers are also like this: in youth, one imitates—imitates famous historical works; in middle age, one creates—after establishing a foundation in middle age, one begins to create; in old age, how does one transform? I myself am no exception; I too have gone through these three stages.[1] --- [1] Wuxi Radio and Television Station: *The Grand Master of Yixing Pottery, Gu Jingzhou* (CD), 2010.