Yixing teaware by Shi Dabin (時大彬), originate in the county-level in Yixing (宜興市) during the Wanli period of the Ming dynasty (1573 – 1619) in the southern province of China; the city famous for its traditional Yixing clay ware. Only a finite number of Shi Dabin works are displayed in museums and private institutions around the world, which includes The MET, British Museum, and Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware.

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Zhengde period of the Ming dynasty (1506 – 1521) is the period recognised in Chinese references as the beginning of Yixing ware. The teapots commonly attributed to this era are made in the naturalistic style, resembling the burl of a tree. Rustic and irregular in shape, the body of the piece, including the spout and handle, is pinched out from a single lump of clay. This type of teapot is attributed to Gong Chun (供春), who lived during the Zhengde period; he is considered as the first and foremost master in Yixing teaware, with Shi Dabin (時大彬) as his only disciple. Gong Chun learned the art of making teapots by surreptitiously watching a monk of the Jinsha temple; these two are the earliest Yixing potters known to us.