Dezhong Yixing Zisha Teapot – Golden Duanni Clay, 230ml

This is a 230 ml dezhong teapot in Golden Duanni Clay, wood-fired with hand carving, made in Dingshu, Yixing. Its Chinese name is 德钟.

The clay. The duanni that fires brightest — a clear, luminous gold, with an unusually fine and even grain for the family. Deepens from yellow toward amber as it is used, so the colour of the pot and the colour of the liquor start to answer each other. Best on lighter teas where that can be seen.

The form. The Dezhong form (德钟) dates to the Qing dynasty, Daoguang era, attributed to Shao Daheng. Created by Shao Daheng and named for its silhouette — an inverted bell. The name puns on the virtue (de) of the gentleman. Upright, evenly proportioned, formal without being stiff. The classic scholar's pot.

How it was made. Wood-fired, with carving cut by hand before the firing — so the ash settles into the incised lines.

Size and tea. 230 ml is a sharing pot. It suits a table of four or more, or a long single steep of something you want to drink slowly over an afternoon. Best suited to green tea, raw pu-erh 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. 180, 230 ml, US$120. Photographed individually — the images show the pot you receive.

Made by 吴建强. 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

• Xishi Yixing Zisha Teapot — Golden Duanni Clay, 230 ml, $120
• Qiu Shui Yixing Zisha Teapot — Golden Duanni Clay, 220 ml, $120
• Zhu Ding Yixing Zisha Teapot — Golden Duanni Clay, 260 ml, $120

Or browse every Golden Duanni pot · more Dezhong teapots.