Rongtian Yixing Zisha Teapot – Baiyu Duanni Clay, 100ml

This is a 100 ml rongtian teapot in Baiyu Duanni Clay, clay-painted, made in Dingshu, Yixing. Its Chinese name is 福禄容天.

The clay. The palest of the duanni family, firing to a near-white jade tone. The most delicate-looking body in the catalogue, and the one that shows a patina most plainly.

The form. The Rongtian form (容天) dates to the contemporary, attributed to Lü Yaochen. From the couplet about Maitreya — a belly big enough to hold what the world cannot. Round, wide and low. Generous capacity and a fast, clean pour. Cheerful rather than austere.

How it was made. Nihui — painting in liquid clay slip on the raw body, building the image in low relief before firing.

Size and tea. 100 ml is the classic gongfu size — comfortable for one drinker or two sharing small cups, and the volume most Chaoshan-style brewing was built around. Best suited to green tea, white tea and light oolong.

One honest note on duanni-family clays: because the body is pale and very open, dark and heavily roasted teas can leave uneven marks if the pot is handled with oily hands or left wet. Rinse it, dry it, and keep it to lighter teas and it will come up beautifully.

This pot. Catalogue no. 421, 100 ml, US$550. Photographed individually — the images show the pot you receive.

Made by 刘秀华. We buy directly from the workshop rather than through a wholesaler, so the attribution comes with the pot.

New to zisha? Read how to season a Yixing teapot before first use.

Similar teapots

• Handmade Sculptural Form Yixing Zisha Teapot — Baiyu Duanni Clay, 120 ml, $500
• Handmade Jing Zhou Bian Ying Yixing Zisha Teapot — Baiyu Duanni Clay, 100 ml, $350
• Rongtian Yixing Zisha Teapot — Qing Jiangponi Clay, 100 ml, $550

Or browse every Baiyu Duanni pot · the full Yixing catalogue.