杨
Yang Xinnian
杨芯年
Qing Qing Dynasty The iron-handed lady of Zisha clay
Biography
Yang Xinnian was a trailblazing woman in the male-dominated world of Yixing pottery during the elegant Yongzheng period, a time when imperial taste demanded nothing short of perfection. She didn't just hold her own — she excelled, crafting square and geometric teapots with a precision and poise that turned heads and challenged assumptions. Her work is a quiet but powerful reminder that great artistry knows no gender.
Key Contribution
Yang Xinnian mastered the notoriously difficult art of geometric teapot construction, producing flawlessly precise square forms that showcased both technical brilliance and refined aesthetic sensibility.
Referenced in the Book
p. 38