Sculptural Form Yixing Zisha Teapot – Aged Duanni Clay, 160ml

This is a 160 ml sculptural form teapot in Aged Duanni Clay, clay-painted, made in Dingshu, Yixing. Its Chinese name is 松果.

The clay. Weathered duanni ore, which fires warmer and denser than fresh stock while keeping the family's open, sandy structure. Slightly more forgiving than young duanni, with the same clarity on light teas.

The form. The subject here is pine cone — in Chinese decorative vocabulary, endurance through winter. Naturalistic work — huaqi — takes its subject from the living world: gourds, pine, bamboo, lotus, fruit, animals. It descends directly from Gongchun's tree-burl pot, the founding object of the craft. Each piece is modelled and carved rather than turned, so no two come out the same.

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 160 ml this fills three or four cups at once — enough for guests without moving to a full teapot. Best suited to raw pu-erh, green 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. 388, 160 ml, US$350. 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 Sculptural Form Yixing Zisha Teapot — Aged Duanni Clay, 125 ml, $350
• Handmade Sculptural Form Yixing Zisha Teapot — Aged Duanni Clay, 150 ml, $499
• Handmade Sculptural Form Yixing Zisha Teapot — Duanni Clay, 160 ml, $350

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