Aili Yixing Zisha Teapot – Zhuni Clay, 80ml – No. 031

This is a 80 ml aili teapot in Zhuni Clay, partially handmade, made in Dingshu, Yixing. Its Chinese name is 矮梨.

The clay. Very high in iron, fired to a bright vermilion, and dense enough to ring when the lid is tapped. Zhuni shrinks by up to twenty percent in the kiln, so a large share of every batch cracks — the Yixing saying is that a zhuni pot without wrinkles is not zhuni. Dense and low-porosity, so it holds aroma at the surface instead of absorbing it. This is the clay that makes fragrant teas smell like themselves.

The form. The Aili form (矮梨) dates to the traditional. A pear form compressed downward — the fruit shape kept, the height taken out. Lower and wider than a standard pear, which makes it steadier on the tray.

How it was made. 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.

Size and tea. At 80 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 oolong, dancong and green tea.

This pot. Catalogue no. 031, 80 ml, US$85. Photographed individually — the images show the pot you receive.

Made by 门静. 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.

Similar teapots

• Qie Gua Yixing Zisha Teapot — Zhuni Clay, 50 ml, $85
• Rongtian Yixing Zisha Teapot — Zhuni Clay, 60 ml, $120
• Qie Gua Yixing Zisha Teapot — Golden Zhuni Clay, 80 ml, $100

Or browse every Zhuni pot · the full Yixing catalogue.