Xishi Yixing Zisha Teapot – Aged Zini Clay, 150ml
Xishi Yixing Zisha Teapot – Aged Zini Clay, 150ml
This is a 150 ml xishi teapot in Aged Zini Clay, hand-carved, made in Dingshu, Yixing. Its Chinese name is 西施葫芦.
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 Xishi form (西施) dates to the late Ming, attributed to attributed to Xu Youquan. Named for the classical beauty Xi Shi. Round and full-bodied, with a bead knob, a short spout, an inset lid and a reversed handle. The best-known small zhuni form there is — compact, soft-shouldered, and comfortable in one hand.
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. 150 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. 401, 150 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.
| Clay | Aged Zini Clay (老紫泥) |
|---|---|
| Form | Xishi (西施) |
| Capacity | 150 ml |
| Craft | Hand-carved (刻绘) |
| Origin | Dingshu, Yixing, Jiangsu, China |
| Catalogue no. | 401 |
New to zisha? Read how to season a Yixing teapot before first use.
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