Ribbed Form Yixing Zisha Teapot – Golden Duanni Clay, 180ml

This is a 180 ml ribbed form teapot in Golden Duanni Clay, clay-painted, made in Dingshu, Yixing. Its Chinese name is 合菱宝韵.

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 Ribbed Form (筋纹器) dates to the traditional category, attributed to various. Ribbed work divides the body into equal lobes running from knob to foot. The lid must align with the body on every rib, in any rotation. Rhythmic and demanding. The test is whether the lid still lines up after a quarter turn.

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. At 180 ml this fills three or four cups at once — enough for guests without moving to a full teapot. 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. 441, 180 ml, US$1000. Photographed individually — the images show the pot you receive.

Made by an independent Dingshu potter working outside the titled-master system. We do not attach a name we cannot verify.

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

Similar teapots

• Handmade Gongchun Yixing Zisha Teapot — Golden Duanni Clay, 160 ml, $700
• Gongchun Yixing Zisha Teapot — Golden Duanni Clay, 150 ml, $750
• Handmade Sculptural Form Yixing Zisha Teapot — Golden Duanni Clay, 165 ml, $650

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