Gongshi Yixing Teapot

Weighted down by the stone on its lid, one might imagine the tea inside this minuscule, urn-shaped teapot to be sealed in for long storage, but lifting it's no Sisyphean task: open the vault that rises above the spout to sample the aromas gathering from the infusion. Each knob has been hand-sculpted into a unique, organic shape resembling Gongshi, the porous 'scholar's stones' popular in gardens since the Tang dynasty, and the yellower material offers a nice point of contrast to the warmer colored duanni of the lid and body, itself porous and rich with multicolored grains. A built-in ball filter allows use with narrow or rolled leaves without clogging, but the small size of the pot suggests it be dedicated for precious leaves or teas best flash-brewed.

Please keep in mind that the stone-shaped knob is unique to each teapot, and may differ from the one pictured.

Written by Dimitri

The clay

The yellowish duanni (缎泥) ore is the lightest of typical Yixing ores, and depending on the exact composition and firing can range from from green to grey, yellow to orange. It can smooth astringency, though some also enjoy using it with lighter teas—white, yellow, and even green.

Why do I need a Yixing teapot?

The material and the shape of Yixing teapots are ideal for brewing tea. They bring out the tea flavor like no other tea vessel. Hand-made Yixing teapots are also valuable handicrafts sought after by collectors. Their value raises with time, usage and artist popularity.

Yixing teapots are made of a rare and depleting clay mined in the mountains near Yixing, a city in the Jiangsu province. The high density yet porous nature of the clay absorbs the smell of the tea brewed in it. For this reason, it is advised to use the pot with only one kind of tea (for instance with black teas or green teas). Bring your tea to the next level; allow yourself an authentic Yixing teapot.