People have been making yixing style teapots for over a thousand years, but it wasn't always a mainstream practice for tea brewing. Things started changing since a monk from "Golden Sand Temple" started selling his mesmerizing "Five Colors Clay" (Purple Sand or Zi Sha) around 500 years ago. Purple Sand teapots are now utilized in a profound tradition of serious tea drinking. It is meant to be used with only one type of tea as to 'season' the pot over time and create a rich tea drinking experience. There are two chop marks, one on the bottom, the other on the handle. Please refer to pictures.