Aili Yixing Zisha Teapot – Reduction-Fired Zhuni Clay, 100ml
Aili Yixing Zisha Teapot – Reduction-Fired Zhuni Clay, 100ml
This is a 100 ml aili teapot in Reduction-Fired Zhuni Clay, hand-carved, made in Dingshu, Yixing. Its Chinese name is 矮梨.
The clay. Zhuni fired in a reduction atmosphere — oxygen is limited late in the firing, which pulls the iron toward darker, cooler tones instead of bright red. Same dense zhuni body, an entirely different surface. Each firing comes out slightly different, so no two are quite alike.
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. 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. 100 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 oolong, yancha and black tea.
This pot. Catalogue no. 049, 100 ml, US$101. Photographed individually — the images show the pot you receive.
Made by 陈敬. We buy directly from the workshop rather than through a wholesaler, so the attribution comes with the pot.
| Clay | Reduction-Fired Zhuni Clay (朱泥还原烧) |
|---|---|
| Form | Aili (矮梨) |
| Capacity | 100 ml |
| Craft | Hand-carved (刻绘) |
| Origin | Dingshu, Yixing, Jiangsu, China |
| Catalogue no. | 049 |
New to zisha? Read how to season a Yixing teapot before first use.
Similar teapots
- Qinquan Yixing Zisha Teapot — Reduction-Fired Zhuni Clay, 90 ml, $101
- Pear-Shaped Yixing Zisha Teapot — Reduction-Fired Zhuni Clay, 90 ml, $101
- Aili Yixing Zisha Teapot — Zhuni Clay, 80 ml, $150
Or browse every Reduction-Fired Zhuni pot · the full Yixing catalogue.
