Yixing Zisha Teapots
Unglazed teapots and lidded mugs thrown and moulded from Yixing zisha clay in Jiangsu province. Every pot below is a single piece with its own page, photographs and, where we have measured it, its capacity.
Rock-Textured Square Zisha TeapotYixing, Jiangsu$299
Fish-and-Lotus Zisha Teapot with Pierced LidYixing, Jiangsu$2,689
Dark Zisha Teapot with Slip-Painted BlossomsYixing, Jiangsu$299
Lotus-Leaf Form Zisha TeapotYixing, Jiangsu$159
Petal-Ribbed Zisha TeapotYixing, Jiangsu$694
Hexagonal Zisha Teapot with Lion FinialYixing, Jiangsu$1,499
Tall Pear-Form Zisha Teapot in Speckled DuanniYixing, Jiangsu$759
Black Zisha Teapot with Lotus ReliefYixing, Jiangsu$859
Dark-Green Bamboo Zisha Teapot with InscriptionYixing, Jiangsu$759
Ruyi Cloud Zisha Teapot with Openwork LidYixing, Jiangsu$469
Shipiao Zisha Teapot with Painted FishermanYixing, Jiangsu$798
Gilt Chrysanthemum Zisha TeapotYixing, Jiangsu$655
Plum Blossom Zisha Teapot with InscriptionYixing, Jiangsu$998
Shipiao Zisha Teapot with Engraved VerseYixing, Jiangsu$758
Gongchun-Style Zisha Teapot with Dragon ReliefYixing, Jiangsu$269
Zisha Teapot with Bold Carved CalligraphyYixing, Jiangsu$239
Lobed Melon Zisha TeapotYixing, Jiangsu$899
Dark Petal-Ribbed Zisha TeapotYixing, Jiangsu$668
Bamboo-Node Cylinder Zisha TeapotYixing, Jiangsu$268
Duanni Zisha Teapot with Carved Hermit LandscapeYixing, Jiangsu$99
Qinquan Zisha Teapot with Engraved TigerYixing, Jiangsu$99
Green Clay Lidded Tea Mug with Incised Tao Te ChingYixing, Jiangsu$329
Zisha Teapot with Phoenix Spout and Dragon HandleYixing, Jiangsu$469
Red Clay Zisha Teapot with Hundred Longevity CharactersYixing, Jiangsu$569
Duanni Zisha Tree-Stump Mug with Squirrel LidYixing, Jiangsu$69
Dahongpao Zisha Teapot, Shell-Fired, with Gilt Bridge KnobYixing, Jiangsu$2,000
Dahongpao Zisha Teapot, Shell-Fired, with Buddha Frieze and Gilt Lotus KnobYixing, Jiangsu$1,999
Gufa Gilded Zisha Teapot in 24K GoldYixing, Jiangsu$1,433
Why zisha clay
Zisha - literally "purple sand" - is the iron-rich clay mined around Yixing in Jiangsu province, and teapots made from it have been the companions of Chinese tea drinkers for centuries. Because the clay is fired without a glaze it stays slightly porous: with regular use a pot slowly takes on a soft sheen, and many drinkers feel it rounds out the tea brewed in it.
Clay and colour
Zisha is a family of clays rather than a single material. Purple-brown zini is the classic; hongni fires to a brighter red; duanni is a buff to yellowish clay that often shows fine speckles. Firing temperature and kiln atmosphere also shift the colour, so two pots made from the same clay can look quite different.
Choosing a size
Capacity matters more than most first-time buyers expect. Pots under about 150 cc suit solo gongfu-style brewing with many short infusions; 150-300 cc serves two to four small cups; larger pots and lidded mugs suit sharing or longer, everyday brews.
Shape and decoration
Classic forms such as the shipiao (stone ladle), the pear form and the bamboo-node cylinder pour differently and suit different teas, while carved, slip-painted or gilt pots are as much for display as for brewing. When you receive a pot, check that the lid sits snugly and the spout pours a clean, unbroken stream.
Caring for a zisha teapot
Rinse a new pot with hot water before first use, never use detergent, and let it dry completely with the lid off. Many drinkers dedicate one pot to one family of tea - oolong, pu-erh or black tea - so that flavours do not mix in the porous clay.
Buying from Wen Gu Hall
Every piece on this page is one of a kind and has its own page with photographs. Quote the SKU on WhatsApp or by email if you would like extra photographs, measurements or condition details before deciding. You can pay with PayPal in the treasure box or by a secure payment link, and standard shipping is free, tracked and insured.