Yixing teapots

How are Yixing clay teapots made?

Yixing clay teapots are one of the hallmarks of the Chinese tea business. It is mined in the area of ​​the city of Yixing and is considered rare and more expensive than ordinary clay. This material is very rich in kaolin, which has high refractoriness, strength and durability. After firing, products made from Yixing clay have a characteristic greasy sheen and a porous structure. It allows kettles to keep the temperature for a long time.

Features of Chinese Yixing teapots

Each Chinese teapot has its own special shape and unique decoration, unusual ornament or various patterns. Although the teapot, which has no ornament, gives the impression of a real work of art. This is a quality developed over the centuries, the unique artistic taste of the Chinese.

How to distinguish a quality Yixing teapot from a fake one?

A worthy example of a Chinese teapot should, first of all, perfectly fulfill its main functions:

Keep water castle

You can check it like this: pour water into the kettle, close the hole on the lid and turn it over. Water must not flow!

Have a master seal

You will always find the individual print on the bottom of the teapot on the outside. This is a distinctive feature of every master from the city of Yixing and suggests that you will not find another such teapot anywhere in the world.

Have a tea nest

You can see a clay ball dotted with holes near the spout on the inside of the teapot. This design is unique to Yixing teapots and prevents tea leaves from getting into your bowl.

Maximum water temperature

The lid must be tightly ground to the body of the kettle, the quality of the brew and the preservation of the temperature of the water depend on this. Be sure to pay attention to this detail when buying your Yixing friend.

Pleasant with the right geometry

Chinese tea is primarily about harmony, focus of the mind and contemplation. Yixing teapot – a reflection of tea philosophy – should be made symmetrically and centered, in a creative, peaceful state. After all, each model has its own function for a tea lover for many years, and is often the best interlocutor. Choose with your heart, and the teapot for Chinese tea will become not only a teapot, but also an assistant on your spiritual path.