Gongchun
Gongchun is an early named figure in accounts of Yixing teapot making. Zhou Gaoqi describes him learning at Jinsha Temple; that written tradition and the attribution of surviving tree-burl pots are separate questions.
Names and aliases
Also written 龚春 / 龔春 (Gong Chun)
On this page
Documented work#
- Zhou Gaoqi's 陽羨茗壺系 traces Yixing teapot making in two steps: first, an unnamed monk of Jinsha Temple (金沙寺僧) washed fine clay from the local seams, hollowed and paddled a round body, attached spout, handle, lid and knob, and fired it in a pottery kiln; second, Gongchun secretly learned the monk's method while attending Wu Yishan at the temple.1
- Zhou notes that the surname was commonly written 龔 (Gong), until he saw a copy by Shi Dabin incised with the two characters 供春, which established the two-character spelling.1
Active#
Early Ming teapot tradition; personal dates uncertain.
Lineage#
Evidence and interpretation#
Zhou’s account describes a spoon and fingers used to shape the clay. The cited transcription does not describe a ginkgo-burl model; its text includes an event in 1644, so “c. 1640” is not a secure date for this version. The temple story is a written tradition, not proof of the authorship of a surviving pot. Source ↗
Sources#
Status and editorial notes sources cited
Sources are listed below. Their presence does not certify every claim; source-specific interpretations and unresolved questions are identified in the text. This page has not received independent expert approval.