Tea Pots

This meticulously crafted “Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl” Zisha teapot is created by skilled artisan Ni Weiqin. The body of the teapot is made from natural purple clay, known for its robust texture and excellent breathability, which allows it to fully absorb the aroma of tea, enhancing the richness of the brew. The lid features intricately sculpted “Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl” decoration, showcasing extraordinary craftsmanship and symbolizing auspiciousness and celebration.

The teapot shape is known as “Qin Quan.” The design of the “Qin Quan” teapot is inspired by the ancient Chinese weighing instrument called “Quan,” used during the Qin Dynasty as part of the unified system of weights and measures established to consolidate central power. The “Quan” symbolized fairness and authority with its solemn and stable form. Therefore, the “Qin Quan” teapot inherits this sense of weight and dignity, with a rounded and low profile that conveys a sense of stability and grandeur, symbolizing fairness, integrity, and strength.

Additionally, the teapot body is inscribed with the Chinese character “Huan Xi (Joy in English),” further conveying the user’s love for life and pursuit of beauty. The overall design is simple and elegant, with a balanced proportion between the spout, handle, and body, perfectly blending traditional charm and artistic appeal.

Zisha Teapot Care Instructions:

• Simple Preparation: Clean the inside and outside of the teapot. Place it in a container and submerge it in water (fill the teapot with water as well), leaving it to soak overnight. The next day, rinse it with boiling water, and the teapot will be ready for use. This process helps remove any earthy or foreign taste and dust on the teapot.
• Usage: After each use, rinse the teapot thoroughly and keep the interior dry.

This Liufang Linglong Yixing Teapot is meticulously crafted using semi-handmade techniques by the skilled artisan Weiqin Ni, with original Qing Shui Ni as the primary material.

The clay, Qing Shui Ni, is a pure Zisha (purple clay) ore that undergoes aging and meticulous processing to become refined. Known for its rustic and understated appearance, this clay develops a rich patina and depth of character with prolonged use, making it highly cherished by tea enthusiasts and teapot makers. Its colour is mellow and warm, with a fine texture, exceptional breathability, and fewer impurities compared to other clays, giving it outstanding stability. The longer it is used, the more lustrous and nuanced its reddish tones become, making it increasingly charming over time.

This teapot features a Liufang Linglong spout design, characterised by a well-balanced and elegant shape. The hexagonal lines are sharp yet fluid, creating a harmonious geometric aesthetic. The body of the teapot is exceptionally smooth and rounded, a testament to the artisan’s exceptional craftsmanship. The lid fits seamlessly with the teapot body, and the knob is simple yet full, making it easy to lift and handle. The spout ensures smooth and even water flow, while the gracefully curved handle integrates perfectly with the pot’s body, providing a comfortable grip and ease of use.

The Liufang Linglong design reflects the traditional cultural values of precision and harmony, while also conveying the auspicious meaning of “double sixes for good fortune” in Chinese tradition. This teapot is not only a practical tool for brewing tea but also a piece of art that embodies the profound cultural heritage and timeless charm of Yixing tea ware.

Zisha Teapot Care Instructions:

• Simple Preparation: Clean the inside and outside of the teapot. Place it in a container and submerge it in water (fill the teapot with water as well), leaving it to soak overnight. The next day, rinse it with boiling water, and the teapot will be ready for use. This process helps remove any earthy or foreign taste and dust on the teapot.
• Usage: After each use, rinse the teapot thoroughly and keep the interior dry.

This Zi Zhi Golden Yixing teapot is meticulously handcrafted using fine golden clay as the raw material. It is carefully crafted by artisan Weiqin Ni, a skilled master of arts and crafts.

The teapot’s body features a clean and fluid design, embodying the rustic beauty of traditional Yixing clay craftsmanship. Its form is sturdy and elegant, with a flattened round shape that exudes strength and resilience. The spout is short and straight, ensuring smooth pouring, while the handle is naturally connected to the body, providing a comfortable grip. The surface of the teapot reveals the fine sandy texture unique to purple clay, with a warm and natural luster that enhances its understated charm.

This teapot is crafted from golden clay, a type of clay that forms the weathered layer of clay ore. It is distinguished by its clear coloration and excellent breathability, making it a premium variety among clays. The finished product exhibits a dark golden hue, with a subtle depth in color. Upon close inspection, one can observe fine black particles distributed within the clay, which are small clusters of hematite that turn black after firing. The clay is rich in oil content, making it easy to develop a patina through regular use. With prolonged use and care, the yellow tones become increasingly pronounced. The golden clay contains relatively large particles and has a loose structure, resulting in a distinct double-pore formation in the body of the teapot. Over time, with continued use, the teapot gradually reveals its unique character, undergoing significant transformation, making it an ideal material for cultivating and appreciating teapots.

Zisha Teapot Care Instructions:

• Simple Preparation: Clean the inside and outside of the teapot. Place it in a container and submerge it in water (fill the teapot with water as well), leaving it to soak overnight. The next day, rinse it with boiling water, and the teapot will be ready for use. This process helps remove any earthy or foreign taste and dust on the teapot.
• Usage: After each use, rinse the teapot thoroughly and keep the interior dry.

This Xian Yuan Yixing teapot is meticulously handcrafted using premium red Jiangpo clay by the skilled artisan Weiqin Ni. The clay is fine and textured, exuding a warm red luster that is understated yet elegant, embodying a deep sense of traditional charm.

The teapot features the classic “Xian Yuan” design, characterized by a clean and refined silhouette. The body is defined by smooth and graceful curves, with seamlessly flowing lines that showcase meticulous craftsmanship. The rim is perfectly level, and the lid fits snugly with the body. The rounded knob on the lid is both aesthetically pleasing and easy to grasp, ensuring comfort during use. The handle is beautifully curved, offering a comfortable grip, while the spout is smooth and ensures a steady and even flow of water. The “Xian Yuan” shape is rooted in traditional geometric aesthetics, emphasizing harmonious proportions and smooth lines. It exemplifies the spirit of Yixing craftsmanship while imparting a serene and subtle beauty to its form.

Red Jiangpo clay is known for its rich texture, excellent oiliness, and remarkable breathability, making it ideal for tea brewing and nurturing. This clay enhances the aroma of tea and elevates its flavour, producing a rich and mellow brew. It is an exceptional choice for both tea enthusiasts and collectors.

With its exquisite craftsmanship and attention to detail, this teapot excels in both functionality and artistic value. Whether used for daily tea brewing or as a display piece, it showcases extraordinary quality and represents the perfect fusion of traditional Yixing artistry with modern aesthetics.

Zisha Teapot Care Instructions:

• Simple Preparation: Clean the inside and outside of the teapot. Place it in a container and submerge it in water (fill the teapot with water as well), leaving it to soak overnight. The next day, rinse it with boiling water, and the teapot will be ready for use. This process helps remove any earthy or foreign taste and dust on the teapot.
• Usage: After each use, rinse the teapot thoroughly and keep the interior dry.

This lovely teapot, adorned with the pattern “The Jade Rabbit Looks at the Moon,” is a beautiful piece that combines traditional Chinese artistry with exquisite craftsmanship.

Design and Appearance:

• Pattern: The teapot features an elegant design with the motif “The Jade Rabbit Looks at the Moon.” This pattern depicts two white rabbits gazing up at a full moon, surrounded by delicate bamboo leaves, creating a serene and poetic scene.
• Color: The teapot is covered with a bright yellow glaze, featuring rich and vibrant colors. The use of famille rose technique brings the entire overglaze painting to life, making it vivid and full of charm.

Craftsmanship and Techniques:

• Yellow Glaze: The use of yellow glaze is a special technique in Chinese porcelain art. It involves applying a yellow pigment over the ceramic body before firing it in the kiln. This process gives the teapot its striking and vibrant yellow color.
• Famille Rose: Famille rose, or “fencai” in Chinese, is a type of enamel decoration on porcelain. This technique uses a palette of soft and delicate colors, which are painted over the glaze and then fired at a lower temperature. The famille rose technique is evident in the detailed depiction of the rabbits, the moon, and the bamboo leaves, which are finely painted with soft and harmonious colors.

Symbolism and Cultural Significance:

The meaning of “The Jade Rabbit Looks at the Moon” primarily expresses deep longing for loved ones. This meaning originates from an ancient mythological story where the jade rabbit requests to reside in the Moon Palace to accompany Chang’e, thus creating the image of the jade rabbit looking at the moon. This story not only showcases the jade rabbit’s kindness and care for family but also reflects the ancients’ emphasis on family and kinship. In traditional Chinese culture, “The Jade Rabbit Looks at the Moon” is not only a symbol of the Mid-Autumn Festival but also an important cultural element for expressing longing and the desire for reunion.

This teapot is a fine example of traditional Chinese porcelain artistry, combining the vibrant yellow glaze with the delicate and intricate famille rose painting. The “Jade Rabbit Looks at the Moon” motif adds a touch of cultural richness and poetic beauty, making it not only a functional piece for brewing tea but also a beautiful decorative item that can be cherished and admired.

This small teapot is made by both kiln-fired glaze variations and cracked glaze craft. Because kiln alteration techniques enable an exciting and dynamic way to create different red colour glazes on this teacup, each teacup is unique and made by hand, with no two being exactly alike. The phenomenon of crystal formation is caused by a kiln altered in a cup, commonly known as “crystal flowers”.

Besides that, the unique cracked glaze technique used creates beautiful patterns on the cup’s surface. Over time as it is soaked with tea soup, and the resulting variations in the pattern make each piece truly outstanding and add more enjoyment to the tea-drinking experience.

Attention:

• Kiln-fired glaze variations are often unpredictable and can result in a wide range of colours from a single firing.
• The porosity of ceramics varies depending on the materials used, the recipe, the pressure applied, the duration of pressure, the thickness of the body, the firing temperature, and the duration of firing. Generally, the finer the porcelain, the smaller the pores, while the coarser the pottery, the larger the pores.
• Since porcelain is made from clay, the amount of iron spots present in the clay varies depending on the mineral content of the soil. These iron spots are harmless and do not affect the use of the porcelain. Removing them would require the use of chemical materials, which can be damaging to high-quality porcelain.
• Handmade products are not perfect, and each piece can have differences in size, shape, colour, and other aspects.