Handmade Jinglan Yixing Zisha Teapot – Luni Clay, 120ml

This is a 120 ml jinglan teapot in Luni Clay, fully handmade, made in Dingshu, Yixing. Its Chinese name is 井栏.

The clay. Red from its iron content but without zhuni's intensity. More abundant, more stable, and easier to form, which is why it turns up across so many classic shapes. Lifts fragrance without flattening the body of the tea — the balance point between zini's depth and zhuni's brightness.

The form. The Jinglan form (井栏) dates to the Qing dynasty, Jiaqing–Daoguang era, attributed to Chen Mansheng and Yang Pengnian. A Mansheng form modelled on the stone railing around a well. Mansheng's own inscription plays on drawing water and drawing on learning — the deeper the well, the better the water. A plain cylinder with a slight taper. Almost architectural, and a favourite surface for carving.

How it was made. Built entirely by hand — the wall is beaten out from a slab and joined without a mould. Inside the body you can still read the tool marks and the joint line, which is how the method is verified.

Size and tea. 120 ml is the classic gongfu size — comfortable for one drinker or two sharing small cups, and the volume most Chaoshan-style brewing was built around. Best suited to black tea, roasted oolong and red tea.

This pot. Catalogue no. 115, 120 ml, US$85. Photographed individually — the images show the pot you receive.

Made by 范卫兵. We buy directly from the workshop rather than through a wholesaler, so the attribution comes with the pot.

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

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