From Shunzhi Period to the early-Kangxi Period, the development of Yixing Zisha was at a low ebb. The potters at this time were no any records on the historical documents. Only in the Kangxi next 25 years(1686), Xu Jiefeng compiled a book called as "Yixing County Annals" recorded the Chen Mingyuan's stuff. And he said"even he is not old, but he is particular for compliments.
Chen Mingyuan was pretty active at that time, he often went to Zhang's home, Wang Heting's home, Chen's, Cao's, Ma's homes,etc, especially had a good relationship with Yang Zhongyun. The scholars most liked to stay with him, and they cooperated to make out lots of exquisite worths, Wu Zun's "records of famous teapots in Yangxian"said that," once I got a chicken pot which made by Chen Mingyuan, made by refined sand, purple color, engraved with the poem written by Geng Zi, which was written by Mr.Cao Liangrang, it is exquisite and it can be compared with the three great artifacts."
It was not too much Chen Mingyuan's potteries survived from earlier time, most of them are imitated by later generations. What we know about the Chen Mingyuan's teapot were imitated by Jiang Yanting, Pei Shimin also was good one. The melon teapot which is collected by Nanjing Museum, it should be Dongling melon pots made by Chen Mingyuan. The most interesting part of this pot is the poem carved on the melon shape of body as "imitate the Dongling style, the perfume of snow will come with", "Dongling style" means Marquis Donglin who lived in Qin Dynasty, after Qin Dynasty perished, he became a poor, so he had to lay his melons down, and the melon was great, so people called it as Donglin melon. Later, there were so many works to praise Dongling melon. Since it contains lots of meaning for Chen Mingyuan making this Dongling melon teapot.
