Shipiao Yixing Zisha Teapot – Ziyu Jinsha Clay, 180ml
Shipiao Yixing Zisha Teapot – Ziyu Jinsha Clay, 180ml
This is a 180 ml shipiao teapot in Ziyu Jinsha Clay, hand-carved, made in Dingshu, Yixing. Its Chinese name is 竹影石瓢.
The clay. A sanded zini with golden flecks suspended in a purple body — the classical literary name for zisha itself, used here for a blend that shows the effect plainly. Reads as zini in use, with a livelier surface.
The form. The Shipiao form (石瓢) dates to the Qing dynasty, Jiaqing–Daoguang era, attributed to Chen Mansheng and Yang Pengnian. Originally called shidiao, one of the eighteen Mansheng forms. The name carries a line from Su Dongpo and a Buddhist idea — of three thousand rivers, one drinks a single gourd. Triangular in profile, flat-bodied, standing on three small feet. Plain to the point of severity, and completely stable on the table. The form most often described as great skill appearing clumsy.
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. At 180 ml this fills three or four cups at once — enough for guests without moving to a full teapot. Best suited to pu-erh and black tea.
This pot. Catalogue no. 061, 180 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 | Ziyu Jinsha Clay (紫玉金砂) |
|---|---|
| Form | Shipiao (石瓢) |
| Capacity | 180 ml |
| Craft | Hand-carved (刻绘) |
| Origin | Dingshu, Yixing, Jiangsu, China |
| Catalogue no. | 061 |
New to zisha? Read how to season a Yixing teapot before first use.
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