Craftsman Zhai Yi Yao delights us again!
1. Jun De, just like Jing Le, Li Xing and Si Ting, has its main body comprising of two parts to be worked on. Starting with the singular rectangular Zi Sha slab, the Craftsman needs to paddle-pat and coax the upper half into a constricted/narrower neck, while working on a separate stage, the lower half into a convexity, the eventual form into a continuous cohesion. The challenge and difficulty in craft lies in the small confines to work with, two body parts with different girths, AND working with Zhu Ni, which gives the most uncertainty during firing due to its high shrinkage!
2. Aspiring to craft the beautiful slim and svelte final shape that is this Jun De, Craftsman Zhai Yi Yao garnered years of practice to accomplish this excellent silhouette.
3. Craftsman Zhai Yi Yao also conscientiously sculpted a 手推内球孔 Hand-Pushed Spherical Filter to increase the number of filter holes for a solid and fast pour of tea out, working with the largish diameter spout; and with better catching of tea leaves at the bottom fast while allowing tea to flow out from the upper holes.
~~~
Skilful Craftsman Zhai Yi Yao 翟一耀 has officially joined up with Craftsman Wang Xing and us. Both of them specialises and taking care of all the Zhu Ni Works from June 2024 onwards! He started off with his Xi Shi and Li XIng for us, here he presents to you:
The,
Jun De 君德。Jun De 君德, Gentleman's Morality and Integrity.
Zhai Yi Yao and Wang Xing are former course mates for three years at the ZiSha school. He is now with us, working alongside his long time friend Craftsman Wang Xing, they mingle and often exchange their experiences with Chen Fa Chu, Zhang Huan, Gu Xiao Ming, Chen Hua Jun, Chen Gui Zhi.
Zhai Yi Yao's skills are brilliant.
His mastery of the overall shape is here for us to savour.
The Xing Ti 形体 of Zhai Yi Yao's and Wang Xing's works are superb! From the photographs, we admire and easily appreciate their amazing Craftsmanship.
This is ZiSha Art, working with XiaoMeiYao ZhuNi, one with even higher shrinkage than ZiNi and DuanNi, and thus a lot more deformities that CAN arise easily during firing. Success rates between 50-70%. We bear witness to their skills as both of them PAINSTAKINGLY and PROUDLY present their labor of love for all of you friends.
~~~
~~~
this is my 24th teapot from real zisha. i really went for the clay this time, because i read Qing hui Zi Ni was a favourite clay in past times. Of course the pot is again, outstanding. No leaking, perfect fit, beautiful skilled made and handles very well and love the larger volume. i can understand this clay was a favourite. I tries with some dan congs and some pu-ehrs. Een though it it a zini type clay, it doesn’t mute the high and delicate flavors, whilst is does mute astringency. I think this pot wil be becoming a favourite very soon. Thank you again for a wonderful teapot!
Excellent Ai Han Wa by Fan Xiao Zhi in Zhu Sha. Beautiful proportions, clean workmanship and a very pleasant clay texture. At 120.3 mL, it is ideal for gongfu and performs especially well with yancha, adding body and smoothness while preserving aroma and minerality. A beautiful and highly functional Yixing pot.
Well made. Holds heat well. Good pour. Nice feel. Makes excellent tea.
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.