Chen Mansheng

Honorary Titles:

 One of the "Eight Masters of Xiling"

 Second-generation leader of Zisha pottery

 Expert in ancient literature and skilled in engraving

Chen Mansheng, originally named Chen Hongshou, with courtesy name Zigong, and nicknames Mansheng, Laoman, Manshou, and Mangong, was a native of Qiantang, Zhejiang Province (modern-day Hangzhou). He excelled in ancient literature and was renowned for his carving, particularly in calligraphy and seal carving, inspired by Qin and Han styles, known for his sharp and swift knife skills.

When discussing Chen Mansheng, many Zisha teapot enthusiasts often mention the "Mansheng Eighteen Styles" teapots he designed.

While serving as a county magistrate in Liyang, Chen developed a strong interest in Zisha teapots and befriended renowned Yixing potters Yang Pengnian, Yang Baonian, and their sister Yang Fengnian.

Chen greatly admired Yang Pengnian's teapots and had a personal interest in making teapots. However, as a busy local official, it was unrealistic for him to make each teapot himself. Thus, he collaborated with the Yang siblings, designing (sketching) the teapots while they crafted them.

Chen drew inspiration from natural life, daily utensils, ancient artifacts, and plant forms when designing these teapots, innovating many styles.

People later referred to these teapots as "Mansheng Teapots," known as the "Mansheng Eighteen Styles." "Eighteen" is a general term, as Chen Mansheng designed far more than eighteen Zisha teapots.

The "Mansheng Teapots" revolutionized the then-complex and outdated Zisha teapot designs, emphasizing simplicity and clarity.

The teapots often featured large blank spaces, engraved with poems and philosophical phrases. Most of these inscriptions were written by Chen Mansheng, as well as his friends Jiang Tingxiang, Guo Pinjia, Gao Shuangquan, and Zha Meishi.

One notable design by Chen was the "Jinglan Teapot," inspired by the stone fences of ancient water wells.

the “Antique Jinglan Teapot”, housed in the Nanjing Museum

Crafted by Yang Pengnian; designed by Chen Mansheng

Chen Hongshou's efforts played a crucial role in the perfect fusion of Zisha teapots with poetry, calligraphy, and painting, forming a new genre of art. After the mid-Qing period, literati and officials like Chen Mansheng, who excelled in calligraphy and seal carving, heavily influenced Zisha art. They used teapots as canvases, with knives as brushes, expressing literary and artistic themes on Zisha teapots, significantly transforming their style. Chen pioneered the simultaneous consideration of teapot body and decoration, providing a model for future creations. As art critic Xu Xiutang remarked, "Great painters decorating teapots may leave famous calligraphy or paintings on the teapots, but that does not make them excellent ceramic carving works." Chen Mansheng transcended the mere formal naming to remember famous artists, harmonizing the essence of the object with the written content, opening a new, ingenious realm in Zisha pottery.