These teapots are made from Chaozhou zhuni red clay – not to be confused with Yixing zhuni though. Chaozhou zhuni is considered to be even more porous than Yixing zisha, and similarly will absorb the flavor and character of the tea you use them for, improving with continued use.

This clay also experiences less shrinkage during firing than Yixing zisha, and consequently Jianshui zitao, which endures the highest shrinkage of the aforementioned clays. This results in well-made Chaozhou pots often having extremely tight-fitting lids. These pots are available in hongni or aged dahongpao (darker, crimson red) clay options.

Each of these teapots is a classic “pear” shape and holds approximately 100ml (+/- 5ml) of liquid. Pour time is approximately 11 seconds.

We sourced these from a studio in Chaozhou that we befriended during a brief trip in early November. Each pot comes with a certificate of completion by the artist, who previously spent much of his formative years honing his craft in Yixing.

As these are unglazed pieces, we recommend dedicating your teapot to one type of tea and avoiding the use of soap or detergents.

You may wish to season your teapot before using it. We advise doing so with caution, and to refrain from leaving the teapot in boiling or simmering water. If you wish to season it, allow the pot to rest in freshly boiled water for around 30 minutes. Remove the pot, rinse and dry. Change the water and bring it to a boil again, this time with some tea (spent or fresh) that you plan to use the pot for. After this water has come to a boil, let the pot rest in it for another 30 minutes or so, rinse and dry. Repeat as desired.