Hanwa Yixing Zisha Teapot – Aged Zini Clay, 130ml
Hanwa Yixing Zisha Teapot – Aged Zini Clay, 130ml
This is a 130 ml hanwa teapot in Aged Zini Clay, hand-carved, made in Dingshu, Yixing. Its Chinese name is 汉瓦.
The clay. Zini ore that has been weathered and stored for years before use. The saying in Yixing is that clay grows more supple with age — aged zini works more smoothly on the wheel and fires to a deeper, more settled purple. Mellower than fresh zini. The liquor comes through soft and rounded rather than bright, which is why long-time drinkers tend to gravitate to older stock.
The form. The Hanwa form (汉瓦) dates to the Qing dynasty. Modelled on Han-dynasty roof-end tiles, which were stamped with auspicious phrases such as 'may joy never end'. The body is cylindrical with flat shoulders and a straight wall. Firm, architectural lines. Takes a patina in a way that brings out an almost metallic depth.
How it was made. Decoration cut into the leather-hard clay by hand with a steel blade, in the Yixing engraving tradition that goes back to Chen Mansheng's collaborations with potters.
Size and tea. 130 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 ripe pu-erh, aged white tea and black tea.
This pot. Catalogue no. 426, 130 ml, US$450. Photographed individually — the images show the pot you receive.
Made by 王伟. We buy directly from the workshop rather than through a wholesaler, so the attribution comes with the pot.
| Clay | Aged Zini Clay (老紫泥) |
|---|---|
| Form | Hanwa (汉瓦) |
| Capacity | 130 ml |
| Craft | Hand-carved (刻绘) |
| Origin | Dingshu, Yixing, Jiangsu, China |
| Catalogue no. | 426 |
New to zisha? Read how to season a Yixing teapot before first use.
Similar teapots
- Rongtian Yixing Zisha Teapot — Aged Zini Clay, 150 ml, $450
- Eggplant Form Yixing Zisha Teapot — Aged Zini Clay, 150 ml, $450
- Hanwa Yixing Zisha Teapot — Golden Duanni Clay, 130 ml, $400
Or browse every Aged Zini pot · more Hanwa teapots.
