Yixing Purple Pottery:

Yixing township in Jiangsu province of China has a very long and colorful history as the center of clay teapot artistry in China. Yixing county has been mined for clays for literally hundreds of years, with thousands of skilled artisans working across centuries to create these functioning works of art! With each successive generation the skills of teapot making and firing have been passed from master to student. Yixing famous clays are Zhu Ni, Zi Ni, Duan Ni, Bao Lan Zhu Ni, Da Hong Pao Ni as well as many others. Each clay has unique properties, and preferred tea pairings.

Browse our selection of Yixing hand-crafted teapots here!

Qin Zhou Ni Xing pottery has a history of over 1300 years. It is one of the "four famous" styles of pottery produced in China, along with Yi Xing, Jian Shui and Rong Chang. They are crafted from a type of naturally occurring reddish-purple clay that is both clean and environmentally friendly. It contains natural amounts of iron, zinc, calcium, strontium and numerous other minerals that are good for the human body. There are absolutely no glazes or paints used in the firing of the clay, rather variations of the color and appearance are a result of firing at different temperatures and polishing the final product. With seasoning and repeated use these pots take on a beautiful reddish copper tone. Like Yi Xing and Jian Shui pots, these teapots absorb the taste of the tea that is frequently brewed in them, and so we recommend that the teapot be seasoned and a single class of tea be dedicated to it.

Browse our selection of Qin Zhou hand-crafted teapots here!

Jian Shui Purple Pottery:

The history of Jian Shui purple pottery, which is also known as Southern Yunnan red jade, goes back hundreds of years. During the Song dynasty it was celadon; during the Yuan it was blue and white ceramics; during the Ming it was coarse ceramics; during the Qing it was purple pottery. Today, it is considered to be among the four famous types of Chinese pottery and represents the traditional folk art of Yunnan's Jian Shui county.