Teapot Teapot offers a variety of teapots, vases and other porcelain art. Our Yixing teapots are exquisite works of art that are collected not only for their beauty, but for their unique tea-brewing qualities. They are named after the city of Yixing, China, located northeast of Shanghai. This distinctive clay teapot created with rich earthy tones first appeared during the Sung Dynasty (960-1279). The craftsmanship was refined during the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911). Although many have tried to imitate and duplicate these teapots, due to the unique nature of the purple clay that can only be found in Yixing few have succeeded.

Yixing teapots are made of a special clay called zisha, which contains iron, quartz, and mica and which is only found in Yixing. The clay is initially mined from large rocks from deep within the earth. Once the rocks are removed, they are left out for several months exposed to the elements (rain, wind and sun) until the rocks crumble and become zisha (purple clay). The Yixing clay occurs naturally in three characteristic colors: light yellow, cinnabar red, and purplish brown. Mixing these three or adding mineral pigments creates other colors. For example, the dusty black color is obtained by mixing in cobalt oxiden and mixing in magnesium oxide makes the blue color. The most popular color still remains the purplish brown (zishayao). Yixing clay has some special attributes that make it ideal for brewing tea, such as its porous nature that is excellent for absorbing the flavor of the tea. Another unique property is its ability to retain heat.

In keeping with tradition our teapots are small designed for the repeated brewing of small amounts of tea. It has been told that men used to carry their own teapot around with them and due to its small size they would drink directly from the spout, therefore no need for cups. All the teapots can be categorized as one of the following:

• Geometric - based on spheres, cylinders, cubes and other geometric forms. They are the most popular shapes.
• Naturalistic - are modeled after tree trunks, plants and floral forms. They are the most creative.
• Ribbed or Segmented - most stylized floral and plant shapes. Their beauty is found in their mathematical precision.
• Miniature or Shuiping hu - these are teapots made for drinking the strong brew preferred by the Cantonese and Fukiense connoisseur tea drinkers.

Whether you purchase Yixing teapots as a collector's item or you enjoy them for their superior tea-brewing quality either way they are beautiful and unique works of art.