Purple-clay pottery is a pottery product that is between pottery and porcelain. It is a kind of famous pottery ware characterized by dense structure, unsophisticated and natural texture.

The purple-clay products made of this kind of clay all reflect purple light on the surface, no matter what the color of their body is. This endows it with natural and refined texture, so it is called "purple-clay pottery". According to scientific analysis, the raw material of purple-clay products contains many mineral components and has very good air-conductivity. The reason for the surface of purple-clay products to give out purple light is that the raw material of purple-clay products can reduce the reflection of light. The colors of the clay for making purple-clay products include red, purple, white, black, yellow, and so on. Divided according to their functions, the purple-clay products can be classified into teapots, flowerpots, jars, etc, among which the purple-clay teapot is the most famous. It combines poetry, painting, carving and handicraft into one. Meanwhile, it is durable and not likely to crack even in high temperatures. Tea made in purple-clay teapot can retain its fragrance for a long time without stale. The origination of purple-clay pottery can be dated back to the Spring and Autumn Period, which is about two thousand and four hundred years to the present days. However, it was in the Ming Dynasty that purple clay was made into teapot. The founder was called Gongchun. In the reign of Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty, the production technique of purple-clay teapots was approaching completeness. That was the mature period of purple-clay art. Purple-clay products reflect a kind of elegant cultural connotation. Many famous scholars, poets and artists in various dynasties had taken part in the design and creation of purple-clay products in various means.

Yixing is the famous pottery capital of China. The purple-clay craftwork produced here are of very high aesthetic and cultural values. The original place of purple-clay teapot is in Yixing of Jiangsu Province, so it is also called Yixing purple-clay teapot.