Why is there a saying that one can identify a pot by tapping it and listening to its sound?
In the past, most purple clay pots were fired in dragon kilns. There was no temperature control at that time, and the firing master had to control the temperature. Different clay materials have their own requirements for firing temperature.
When the pot comes out of the kiln, some potters will use the pot lid to knock on the pot body to judge whether the pot has been fired enough (whether the firing temperature is right), or whether there are cracks or hidden scratches, and judge by the sound.
However, most teapot lovers do not have this ability to distinguish, and the general description of "crisp" and "dull" is impossible to confirm.
Tapping cannot determine the quality of a purple clay teapot
1. The higher the mesh number of the clay material, the crisper the sound will be when you knock it, while the lower the mesh number of the clay material, the duller the sound will be when you knock it.
This is because when the mesh number of the clay is high, the crystallinity is also high, which is generally referred to as the degree of porcelainization. For example, the sound of porcelain is definitely crisper than that of a purple clay pot.
2. The shape and size of the pot are different, and the sound will be different. If the shape of the pot is different, the path of internal resonance when it is knocked will be different, and the sound we hear will not be the same.
The size of the pot is different, and the resonance radius is different, so of course there will be some differences.
3. The sound of the pot body is slightly different when it is knocked. The thicker the body, the deeper the sound; while the thinner the body, the crisper it is.
4. Can you tell whether the pot itself has hidden cracks by listening to the sound of knocking on the pot?
5. Some slurry pots and pots with high mesh counts that have serious chemical pigments added cannot be distinguished by the sound of knocking.
6. The various sounds made by knocking on the pot body have nothing to do with the grade of the clay material, nor with the workmanship of the pot.