Shipiao Yixing Zisha Teapot – Golden Duanni Clay, 140ml
Shipiao Yixing Zisha Teapot – Golden Duanni Clay, 140ml
This is a 140 ml shipiao teapot in Golden Duanni Clay, partially handmade, made in Dingshu, Yixing. Its Chinese name is 双线石瓢.
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 Shipiao form (石瓢) dates to the Qing dynasty, Jiaqing–Daoguang era, attributed to Chen Mansheng and Yang Pengnian. Originally called shidiao, one of the eighteen Mansheng forms. The name carries a line from Su Dongpo and a Buddhist idea — of three thousand rivers, one drinks a single gourd. Triangular in profile, flat-bodied, standing on three small feet. Plain to the point of severity, and completely stable on the table. The form most often described as great skill appearing clumsy.
How it was made. Formed with the help of a mould for the body, with the spout, handle, lid and finishing worked by hand. A well-made half-handmade pot is a good pot; the difference is in labour, not in whether it brews well.
Size and tea. 140 ml serves two to three people from a single fill, which makes it the most generally useful size on a tea table. 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. 022, 140 ml, US$85. Photographed individually — the images show the pot you receive.
Made by 王召仁. We buy directly from the workshop rather than through a wholesaler, so the attribution comes with the pot.
| Clay | Golden Duanni Clay (黄金段) |
|---|---|
| Form | Shipiao (石瓢) |
| Capacity | 140 ml |
| Craft | Partially handmade (半手工) |
| Origin | Dingshu, Yixing, Jiangsu, China |
| Catalogue no. | 022 |
New to zisha? Read how to season a Yixing teapot before first use.
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