Tie Sha Zhu Ni 铁砂朱泥 is a Yuan Kuan type, i.e. unadulterated and original ZhuNi type.
It is not a type of mixed clay. It is an adulterated ZhuNi material PICKED AT SITE.
Read on.
Usually,
1) Ore pickers will pick at site but avoid: ZhuNi ores that appear to have too obviously high IRON content,
2) and/or after picking, they will try to select out parts high in iron content to be omitted during the ore processing into bricks of clay and subsequently for pot making.
Such avoidance of working with ZhuNi with too high iron content is because, ZhuNi with too high iron content will be DIFFICULT to work with. Such high iron content clay is not sticky and very difficult to form up into a pot.
However, for Tie Sha Zhu Ni, only certain few families of Artisans in YiXing: they will specially AND purposely pick at site: ZhuNi ores that have obviously HIGH IRON content.,
AND these families of Artisans know how to work with and form up pots with them.
Zhu Jie is the Craftsman whom we trust and also, adept at crafting with Tie Sha Zhu Ni 铁砂朱泥。
Tie Sha Zhu Ni pots are treasured because they are amazing in steeping and brewing up Oolong teas, High Fragrance teas and Dark Pu-Er tea types.
You can see the high iron content by virtue of the multiple black dots as visible throughout the surfaces of this pot.
Not easy to wait for one to appear. Please cherish it.
This pot caught my eye due to its short, squat, adorable stature and silhouette, which I immediately fell in love with! I love the wide lid opening. This allows the user to easily load and remove tea leaves, and gives easy access to the inside of such a small volume pot. The large lid is easy to handle, and the lid knob is thoughtfully raised with a sculpted taper at the base, ensuring your fingers lock onto it with a sure grip.
This is my first Zhu Ni pot, and I love the feel of the smooth, leathery clay with heavy wavy creasing. The difference between other Zi Sha types can be easily observed and appreciated.
I purchased this pot to brew fresh Chinese green tea over the summer. The flavor of the green tea brewed in Zhu Ni is simply incredible. The fresh and nutty flavors of the tea are preserved, while the harsher, bitter flavors are rounded off for a balanced and harmonious steeping. I highly recommend any green tea lovers try a Zhu Ni pot for this application!
Shipping to the US was smooth and worry free. As always, Ian's communication through email is kind, courteous, knowledgeable, and quickly responsive.
Thank you again to Ian, Yi-Lei, and craftsman Shi Yun 石芸 for this cherished Ming Yuan Xu Bian 鸣远虚扁!
Absolutely beautiful pot, love the craftsmanship and design. Perfect in everyway, it will be used with joy and cherished.
beautiful form of the teapot. Elegant, handles well, does not leak, very well made. I love the fairy etched into it. The clay is suitable for various teas. I can only recommend!
nice and beautiful
Really impressed by this 87ml piece. Outstanding craftsmanship by Fan Xiao Zhi — classic Xi Shi lines, tight lid fit, and a strong, smooth pour. The granular texture of this Zhu Sha clay is beautiful in person. Very happy to add this one to my table!