Lianzi Yixing Zisha Teapot – Xiekeqing Clay, 210ml
Lianzi Yixing Zisha Teapot – Xiekeqing Clay, 210ml
This is a 210 ml lianzi teapot in Xiekeqing Clay, wood-fired with hand carving, made in Dingshu, Yixing. Its Chinese name is 笠帽莲子.
The clay. Named for its colour — the blue-grey of a crab shell. A cool, muted body with a fine sandy grain, most often seen wood-fired, where the ash brings the grey to life. Sits between duanni's openness and zini's steadiness, and stays visually calm on a crowded tea table.
The form. The Lianzi form (莲子) dates to the Ming dynasty, attributed to from the lotus-seed jar. Shaped like a full lotus seed, descended from Ming lotus-seed jars. The lotus rises clean out of the mud — the form carries that reading, and a pun on sons and continuity. Upright, plain and rounded. In continuous use since the Ming.
How it was made. Wood-fired, with carving cut by hand before the firing — so the ash settles into the incised lines.
Size and tea. 210 ml is a sharing pot. It suits a table of four or more, or a long single steep of something you want to drink slowly over an afternoon. Best suited to raw pu-erh, light oolong and green tea.
This pot. Catalogue no. 187, 210 ml, US$80. Photographed individually — the images show the pot you receive.
Made by 刘群. We buy directly from the workshop rather than through a wholesaler, so the attribution comes with the pot.
| Clay | Xiekeqing Clay (蟹壳青) |
|---|---|
| Form | Lianzi (莲子) |
| Capacity | 210 ml |
| Craft | Wood-fired with hand carving (柴烧刻绘) |
| Origin | Dingshu, Yixing, Jiangsu, China |
| Catalogue no. | 187 |
New to zisha? Read how to season a Yixing teapot before first use.
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