As a folk handicraft, Yixing pottery naturally incorporates the master's accumulated experience and personal understanding of the craft through oral transmission and hands-on teaching. Apprentices strictly follow their master's requirements, striving to comprehend and master the techniques' secrets and essence to the fullest extent possible. They repeatedly inherit, expand upon, and accumulate related experience and theory. The relationship between master and apprentice naturally forms a particular atmosphere. Within this atmosphere, a single word from the master may suddenly enlighten the apprentices and influence them for life. Although apprentices will eventually develop their own distinctive styles in their later creative work, traces of their master's early artistic marks and behavioral characteristics can be seen to varying degrees in their works and conduct. This inherent characteristic of craft transmission creates a circle with extremely strong influence radiating from a central point—this center being one person or several people in the transmission process. As time passes and numbers increase, this center's influence grows stronger. Certain points within the circle form smaller circles based on the central foundation. The entire circle's scope expands outward in this multi-point, multi-circle manner, like ink diffusing in water, ultimately developing into a "school" or "style." ## Ming Dynasty Innovation: Master-Apprentice Lineages Flourish Zhou Gaoqi recorded in *Yangxian Ming Pot System* that Gong Chun, during his leisure time at Jinsha Temple, learned the old monk's techniques through "secret imitation," becoming the first named craftsman in Yixing pottery history. Shi Dabin, a master of the generation following Gong Chun, trained several outstanding disciples including Li Zhongfang, Ou Zhengchun, Shao Wenjin, Shao Wenyin, Jiang Boya, and Chen Junqing. Thereafter, Yixing pottery techniques branched out and flourished. Through the efforts of numerous craftsmen during the Ming and Qing dynasties, the production process became essentially standardized, technical proficiency achieved comprehensive development and improvement, and works displayed remarkable diversity.