With bowed-out sides, as if barely containing an eagerness to dispense the tea within, this Yixing elongates upward. While static, the form from above resembles the classic oil lamp hovering above the table. But it really shines when in motion, its near-symmetries shifting the appearance at different angles, and its lustrous curvature catching the light. Among the more miniature of teapots, its smooth surface, thin walls, and built-in net filter promise a pleasure optic, haptic, and gustatory in its use.
The clay
Made of the lustrous and dense zhuni (朱泥) from the mine of Zhaozhuang (赵庄), a source of the material since the Ming Dynasty. Its density and superior heat retention recommends it for use with aromatic teas or those brewed with the hottest water, such as rolled oolongs or black teas.
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.