Categories: Tea Sets
Yixing clay teapot（Zi Sha Hu）
€180.00
Crafted from premium Huanglong Mountain Yixing clay, this teapot’s meticulously aged material fires to an antique hue with subtle iron-oxide speckling. Its fluid contours evoke drifting clouds, while the rounded belly suggests the cosmos. The short spout ensures precision, and the ergonomic handle fits comfortably. The lid fits seamlessly, rotating smoothly with airtightness.
Inspired by the classic “Shi Piao” form, it embodies Jiangnan literati refinement. The arched knob recalls a stone bridge, and the tripod base reflects “round heaven, square earth.” Eschewing ornament, its beauty lies in the clay’s natural texture and the form’s quiet power.
As the adage notes, “Within a teapot, sun and moon trace their paths.” More than a vessel, it carries the scholar’s ideal of reclusion. Holding it, you taste heaven-earth harmony and timeless wisdom.
De Zhong Hu (德钟壶): Symbolizing the integrity and nobility of a nobleman, it represents the pinnacle of unadorned Yixing teapots. Its design is simple yet upright, with strong and fluid lines, and a stable body. The straight spout delivers powerful water flow with a clean break. The generous belly allows tea leaves to unfurl fully, effectively concentrating and elevating aromas. Its rapid pour makes it ideal for teas requiring thorough awakening like Pu’er and Oolong. Holding it feels like grasping the virtue of a nobleman.
Pao Zun Shui Ping Hu (匏尊水平壶): Inspired by the gourd (calabash), it symbolizes humility and balance. The body is plump and rounded like a ripe gourd. Its unique design ensures the spout tip and handle top are perfectly level, allowing the pot to float steadily. The rounded belly promotes tea leaf circulation. The three-bend spout design ensures a smooth, long pour with a clean break, making it especially suited for the Gongfu tea ceremony (e.g., Phoenix Dancong, Tieguanyin), pursuing fair tea distribution.
Rong Tian Hu (容天壶): Drawing meaning from “the sea embracing all rivers,” it symbolizes tolerance and grandeur. Its most prominent feature is the exceptionally full, spherical belly with strong presence, creating a substantial and majestic form. The vast space provides an optimal environment for tea leaves to unfurl and breathe, offering excellent heat and aroma retention. It is particularly suitable for teas requiring steeping or full flavor release, such as aged Pu’er, vintage dark tea, and Rock Tea (Yancha).
Xi Shi Hu (西施壶): Inspired by the ancient Chinese beauty Xi Shi, it symbolizes elegance and grace. The body is voluptuously rounded with graceful curves, characterized by its compact and exquisite size, often paired with a distinctive reverse handle and short spout. Despite its small size, the full shape accommodates tea leaf expansion well. The short spout ensures smooth water flow, and the reverse handle provides light, comfortable handling. It is especially suitable for brewing highly fragrant teas like Oolong and Black tea, facilitating tea appreciation and aroma enjoyment. Holding it feels like cradling a beauty.
Xu Mao Hu / Li Mao Hu(旭帽壶): The lid resembles the bamboo rain hat (斗笠) of a recluse, symbolizing refined seclusion. Its broad, gently sloping, and slightly concave bamboo hat lid is highly distinctive. The body is often a simple cylindrical shape, commonly featuring an overhead handle design, exuding a rustic, natural mountain forest charm. The wide lid facilitates easy tea loading and cleaning. The ample chamber suits various teas well. Overhead handle models enhance spatial presence. It pairs exceptionally well with delicate teas like Green tea and White tea, creating a leisurely ambiance.
1. De Zhong Hu (Virtue Bell Teapot) – The Noble Vessel of Integrity
Origin: A pinnacle creation by the grand master Shao Daheng of Yixing pottery. Inspired by ancient ceremonial bells (zhong), its name embodies “virtue and integrity resonating far and wide.” Represents the zenith of unadorned, pure-form Yixing teapots.
Form & Spirit: Exudes dignified stability with clean, upright lines. The flat lid holds subtle harmony, the cylindrical knob rises like a pillar, the straight spout points resolutely upwards, and the sturdy handle conveys strength. Its simple yet stately form, free of embellishment, perfectly captures the Confucian ideals of “righteous balance” and “leading by virtuous character.”
Tea Experience: The generous belly allows ample room for tea leaves to unfurl, enhancing aroma concentration and release. Offers a powerful, direct pour with a sharp water cutoff. Ideal companion for teas needing full awakening like Pu’erh and Oolong. Holding it evokes the firm grasp of a nobleman’s virtue, filling the spirit with uprightness and tranquility.
2. Pao Zun Ping Shui Hu (Gourd Master Level Teapot) – The Humble Scholar, Perfectly Balanced
Origin: Draws inspiration from the natural gourd (pao), ingeniously fused with the functional demands of a “level teapot” (Ping Shui Hu). A masterful blend of utility and aesthetics.
Form & Spirit: Features a plump, rounded body echoing a ripened gourd, with soft, fluid lines radiating vitality. The lid fits seamlessly. The knob resembles a delicate calyx. Typically paired with an elegant three-bend spout and a comfortable handle that aligns perfectly with the spout tip. This “level” alignment ensures the pot floats perfectly flat on water.
Tea Experience: The “level” design signifies not just visual balance but also the Gongfu tea ceremony’s pursuit of “fairness and equity.” The rotund shape aids leaf circulation. The three-bend spout delivers a smooth, steady stream with a clean break. Exceptionally suited for brewing Gongfu style teas (e.g., Phoenix Dancong, Tieguanyin), ensuring even steeping and fair distribution. The epitome of a “balanced gentleman” on the tea tray – humble and courteous.
3. Rong Tian Hu (Heaven-Containing Teapot) – Vast as the Sea, Embracing All
Origin: Infused with the Zen concept “The ocean embraces all rivers; greatness lies in vast capacity.” A masterful innovation on classic forms by contemporary Yixing artist Lü Yaochen.
Form & Spirit: True to its name, its defining feature is an extraordinarily full, spherical belly radiating immense presence, seeming to contain heaven and earth. Paired with a short, slightly protruding spout, a thick, rounded handle, a subtly domed lid, and a flattened spherical knob acting as a focal point. The overall shape is profoundly substantial, harmonious, and majestic, embodying restrained yet immense power.
Tea Experience: The expansive belly provides exceptional space for leaves to expand and breathe, maximizing heat retention and aroma concentration. Particularly excels with teas requiring steeping or full flavor release, like aged Pu’erh, dark teas, or Yancha (Rock Tea). Holding its generous form feels like embracing tolerance itself, transforming tea drinking into a meditative experience that broadens the mind.
4. Xi Shi Hu (Beauty Xi Shi Teapot) – The Silhouette of a Beauty, Exquisitely Natural
Origin: Inspired by Xi Shi, the most celebrated of China’s Four Great Beauties. Captures her full, graceful form, making it the quintessential and most beloved feminine teapot design.
Form & Spirit: The body is voluptuously rounded like a beauty’s form, with sensuous, flowing curves. The reverse handle (倒把 – dào bǎ) resembles a coiled hairstyle, the short spout a petite mouth, and the flush-fitting lid (截盖 – jié gài) blends seamlessly into the body. A tiny spherical knob adds delicate charm. Exquisitely proportioned, compact, and charming, radiating the subtle elegance of an ancient Eastern beauty.
Tea Experience: Despite its compact size, the full shape allows good leaf expansion. The short spout offers a smooth pour; the reverse handle provides light, comfortable handling. Perfect for fragrant Oolongs or Blacks, allowing close appreciation of the dancing leaves and rising aroma. Holding it is like cradling a beauty – a delight to both eye and spirit, enhancing the joy of tea.
5. Xu Mao Hu / Li Mao Hu (Sun Hat / Bamboo Hat Teapot) – The Reclusive Scholar, Elegant and Refined
Origin: Named for its lid, shaped like the broad bamboo rain hat (斗笠 – dǒu lì) worn by fishermen and reclusive scholars. Embodies the literati spirit of retreat from worldly fame and harmony with nature.
Form & Spirit: Its most distinctive feature is the broad, gently sloping, slightly concave lid, unmistakably resembling a sun hat. The body is often cylindrical or slightly flattened, with clean, straightforward lines. The spout is usually straight or a simple curve; the handle commonly a loop or a horizontal (often overhead) bail handle. The overall aesthetic is rustic, fresh, and natural, evoking a sense of pastoral charm and hermit-like detachment.
Tea Experience: The wide hat lid offers practical ease for adding leaves and cleaning. The ample chamber allows full tea expression. Xu Mao Hu with an overhead handle possesses enhanced spatial elegance; holding it feels like grasping a fishing rod, serene and content. Versatile for various teas, pairing exceptionally well with the delicate nature of Greens or Whites, creating a tranquil, unhurried tea atmosphere.