Handmade Blessing Arrival Yixing Zisha Teapot

This Zisha teapot, by Jiang Po Ni, has a remarkably chic appearance, mostly in the small pig on the lid: its lines are clearly visible, and it has a vivid, living facial expression. The combination-contrast of the cute pig with the traditional Zisha art and style will bring some lighthearted fun to your tea time; along with these, the retro-style ‘door’ marking on the body of the teapot (the Chinese character 福) represents the arrival of blessings, and expectations for a brighter future.

Duan Ni: Duanni, also called Lao Tuanni, is often seen around Huanglong Shan, Yixing, in Jiangsu Province. Aside from being used to make pottery, duanni is often finely ground for use in blends; when fired the clay turns yellow in color, with tiny speckles of red throughout. This type of clay is loose with double air-hole structures within, resulting in smoother cross-ventilation than other types of clay, establishing it as a great choice for usage in teapots.

Yuan Ting was born in the Zisha village of Yixing, and is skilled in the design and creation of Zisha teapots while using a style combining both modern reality and older tradition. As a result, her works are elegant and graceful, yet simultaneously simple. Using only top-quality materials in her works, she inherits and reinforces tradition while stepping forward with bold innovations in her own uniquely personal style.

Yixing County is known as the Pottery Capital of China for its extensive 6500-year history of the craft. The area boasts abundant resources of argil, tea, bamboo, and charcoal, each of which contributes an important base material for the making of pottery. Yixing Zisha products have earned countless prizes both at home in China as well as abroad, with a few exceptional works presented as national gifts during international diplomacy.