Clay tea pots have a long  association  with the culture of Chinese tea - being are used for brewing teas during tea ceremonies, as well as by traditionalists for individual consumption.

Why clay?

Teas are sensitive to foreign odors: Modern synthetic materials such as plastics and metals have a scent that can mask subtle delicate tastes associated with high quality teas. Clay does not have a scent that interferes with tea.

Tea leaves brewed in a clay teapot are believed to be more vibrant. It is thought that micro cavities embedded in the clay used to make the teapots allow tea to ‘breath’ through. This is a similar phenomenon to boiling green vegetables without the lid, as opposed to lid on (which results in greater degree of “stewing”). In this regard clay is superior to glass and ceramics.

Why so small a teapot?

The small volume of the tea accessory ensures the tea leaves are constantly washed by a small amount of fresh boiling water as tea is served frequently. The result is a “fresher” serve of tea, as opposed to a tea made from excessively soaked leaves – which can yield a bitter edge to the taste.

The Zi Sha (scarlet sand) teapot - the pinnacle

The pinnacle of clay teapots belongs to a class made from a special clay called ‘Zi Sha’ (translated: scarlet sand) - only produced in the JiangSu province in the YiXing area of China in limited quantities.

Local craftsmen (Zi Sha artists) hand craft the tea pots from the ‘Zi Sha’ clay. There is a strong tradition and culture associated with this craft, with artists regularly tested and graded by titles according to skill level.

Making a Zi Sha Teapot involves precision and artistry.  The results are astonishing:

1. First a sample of clay is “filed” for future reference. The rest of the clay is then put through a process that can sometimes takes up to a month before it becomes a teapot.
2. The basic vessel of the teapot is shaped.
3. Body, handle, spout and lid are then made at various stages.
4. Every detail presents as a coherent story, a product of the artist personality, skills, feelings and interpretation of the history and tea culture.
5. Sometimes teapots are paired: ie sister Zi Sha teapots, male and female teapots, fruit and vine teapots – all unique.
6. The finished product will then be stamped by the artist’s personal seal with a certificate outlining details of the teapot production: the artist, year, date, name given to the teapot and the details of the clay sample’s file etc.

 Many of these teapots will then fall into collectors’ hands to be traded as art pieces.

 The unique properties of Zi Sha teapot