A Yixing purple clay arts exhibition is currently on display at Nantong Museum, East China’s Jiangsu province from Nov 10 to Dec 16.

Jointly held by Jiangsu Province Bureau of Cultural Relics, Yixing Museum, Yixing Ceramic Museum and Nantong Museum, the exhibition displays a total of 109 Yixing purple clay works, including antique purple clay teapots from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

A total of 109 purple clay works are on display at Nantong Museum, East China’s Jiangsu province from Nov 10 to Dec 16. [Photo/Ntjoy]

Tools used for making purple clay teapots are exhibited at the purple clay arts exhibition of Nantong Museum. [Photo/Ntjoy]

A visitor takes photos of the works exhibited at Nantong Museum. [Photo/Ntjoy] 

Yixing, a county-level city famous for its purple clay arts in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, has been making potteries for 7,000 years. The Yixing purple clay teapot was listed in the national intangible cultural heritage items list in 2006. 

Purple clay is a kind of pottery without being glazed. When people use the purple clay teapot to make tea, the teapot will not only maintain a tea aroma but also keep its color, smell and taste for a long time.