Let’s say two teapots feature the same clay material, craftsmanship and are made by the same artisan. The semi-handmade one costs 1,000 yuan, while the fully handmade one is priced at 3,000 yuan. Which one would you choose? The answer is definitely the 1,000-yuan semi-handmade teapot.
Artist: Ma Pin Yi
If the clay and workmanship are identical, what is the point of paying extra for fully handmade? Does it make the tea taste better? So what exactly is the difference between them? Fully handmade works carry depth and artistic value, whereas semi-handmade pieces are only judged by technical craftsmanship, with no artistic merit to speak of.
Artist: Ma Pin Yi
Genuine fully handmade artworks of this caliber never cost just a few hundred yuan; they run several thousand or even tens of thousands of yuan. Only fully handmade teapots in this price range hold real value. As for cheap fully handmade teapots, they are mostly made by apprentices or mass-produced on assembly lines, sold merely under the marketing label of "fully handmade".
Artist: Ma Pin Yi