{"product_id":"zisha-teapot-mao-he-lao-shu-011","title":"Cheese Sculptural Form Yixing Zisha Teapot – Golden Duanni Clay, 90ml","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis is a 90 ml cheese sculptural form teapot in Golden Duanni Clay, partially handmade, made in Dingshu, Yixing. Its Chinese name is 猫和老鼠.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe clay.\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe form.\u003c\/strong\u003e The subject here is mouse — in Chinese decorative vocabulary, the first animal of the zodiac, associated with gathering wealth. 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow it was made.\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSize and tea.\u003c\/strong\u003e At 90 ml this is a solo pot. One person, short infusions, and the small volume means you can push a good leaf through eight or ten steeps without ever brewing more than you drink. Best suited to green tea, raw pu-erh and light oolong.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOne 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis pot.\u003c\/strong\u003e Catalogue no. 011, 90 ml, US$180. Photographed individually — the images show the pot you receive.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMade by 韩传杰. We buy directly from the workshop rather than through a wholesaler, so the attribution comes with the pot.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eClay\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eGolden Duanni Clay (黄金段)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eForm\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCheese Sculptural Form (奶酪仿生器)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eCapacity\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e90 ml\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eCraft\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePartially handmade (半手工)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eOrigin\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDingshu, Yixing, Jiangsu, China\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eCatalogue no.\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e011\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew to zisha? Read \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/journal\/how-to-season-a-yixing-teapot\"\u003ehow to season a Yixing teapot\u003c\/a\u003e before first use.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eSimilar teapots\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/zisha-teapot-huang-jin-duan-rong-tian-251\"\u003eHandmade Rongtian Yixing Zisha Teapot\u003c\/a\u003e — Golden Duanni Clay, 90 ml, $200\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/zisha-teapot-huang-jin-duan-chun-xiao-445\"\u003eHandmade Artisan Design Yixing Zisha Teapot\u003c\/a\u003e — Golden Duanni Clay, 85 ml, $200\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/zisha-teapot-huang-jin-duan-ni-hui-xi-shi-045\"\u003eXishi Yixing Zisha Teapot\u003c\/a\u003e — Golden Duanni Clay, 90 ml, $150\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eOr browse \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/duanni-yixing-teapots\"\u003eevery Golden Duanni pot\u003c\/a\u003e · \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/yixing-zisha-teapots\"\u003ethe full Yixing catalogue\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Yihu Yike","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45837605109807,"sku":"YHYK-0011","price":180.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/8676\/5615\/files\/cheese-sculptural-form-golden-duanni-clay-yixing-zisha-teapot-011-01.jpg?v=1787064410","url":"https:\/\/yixingzishateapot.com\/products\/zisha-teapot-mao-he-lao-shu-011","provider":"Yihu Yike","version":"1.0","type":"link"}