Du Zhi Hu《笃志壶》, 175.1ml, Hei Zi Ni 黑紫泥, by our Craftsman Zhang Huan 张欢, Calligraphy and Plum Blossoms Engraving by Craftsman Yi Cheng 逸成 ~ Congratulations!to Mr T.J.! 0909hrs 17th August 2025, Oulu! Finland 🇫🇮.
《笃志壶》Du Zhi Hu
Zhang Huan is back, his previous batch of twenty to thirty pots crafted between April and May and fired in late May, all suffered deformations (Zi Ye Shi Piao and De Zhong). He is of course undeterred. Life goes on. He was successful with a few of the Xiao Hong Ni works recently! We cheer for Zhang Huan!
Senior Masters Lu Xu Feng and Cao Lan Fang, chose for Zhang Huan this time:
This《笃志壶》Du Zhi Hu,
This Du Zhi Hu means Steadfast, Unerring and Persistent.
The design is steered specially by Senior Master Cao Lan Fang, who had crafted it several times in the past for our Yixing collectors, and it embodies an immovable and moored stance, highly functional and easy to use, and exudes a genteel, evergreen and balanced poise. All lending itself to the feel of determination and steadfastness passed to the user, hence the design and its name: "Du Zhi 笃志 - Steadfast".
The Du Zhi pot also exhibits a very strong and linear pour, to further accentuate the rightful name of Steadfast and Unerring accuracy!
Lu Xue Feng and Cao Lan Fang chose it to be matched with our Cao Family's HEI ZI NI 黑紫泥 clay!!! SOLEMN, serious and understated, as it is the darkest Zi Ni alongside Wu Ni!
~~~ Specially chosen for all of you friends!
Reference information for your perusal:
1) Hei Zi Ni 黑紫泥 is different from 2) Wu Ni 乌尼 and 2) Hei Ni 黑泥.
1) Hei Zi Ni 黑紫泥 is the darkest unadulterated Zi Ni clay in our fraternity, and it has a tinge of redness/brown-ness to it.
2) The extinct Wu Ni 乌尼 (previously availed two years ago, courtesy of Masters Lu Shun Rong, and Wang Chao Peng and their family association with the legendary figure Han Qi Lou) is equally dark but has no tinge of redness/brown-ness to it, and is much less sandy/grainy.
3) Hei Ni is Zi Ni with added MnO2.
Used here, this is the EXACT SAME Hei Zi Ni clay 黑紫泥 that our uncle:
ZiSha Religious Art PRIME MASTER CAO AN XIANG 曹安祥, uses in many of his works for the temples!
Senior Master Lu Xue Feng and Cao Lan Fang CHOSE for the ENGRAVING to be done by one senior Craftsman with Xing Shu style calligraphy.
His artistic byname is Yi Cheng 逸成。
Yi-Lei and ian chose the verses for Engraving Craftsman Yi Cheng, while Yi Cheng exercises his own artistic direction for the delicate pictorial engraving of bamboos.
Hei Zi Ni is a type of Zi Ni, and is excellent for Sheng Pu Er 生普洱, and Shu Pu Er 熟普洱。
Hei Zi Ni is carefully chosen within our team for all of you, accounting for 1) the ZiSha model chosen, 2) the set volume for the top overall aura to be achieved.
We wish all our dearest friends in you, to enjoy it, use it, savour it and feel the aura of our Chinese YiXing Art.
Zhang Huan partners hence this time with Yi Cheng back and forth closely at the last stage pampering us ultimately with this finished Du Zhi Hu of Hei Zi Ni!
Assuming the user is right-handed,
Calligraphy faces the Tea Master,
Pictorial engraving of the beautiful, brilliant Plum Blossoms, faces the Guests,
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Craftsman Zhang Huan 张欢, since young, has embarked on his journey of crafting Austere ZiSha works of HIGH QUALITY. He had been noticed and hand-picked by Senior Cao Lan Fang and Senior Master Lu Xue Feng over observation of the past decade, and they have taken him in as their very hardworking disciple and CORE COLLEAGUE.
After three years of perfecting further his already polished skills, his works have consistently been given more than a nod by our Artists, be it Senior Master Lu Xue Feng, Senior Master Cao Lan Fang, Assoc Master Yang Quan Sheng, Assoc Master Li Yan Ru, Assoc Master Du Cheng Yao. Craftsman Zhang is NOW proudly one of us and he will be featuring consistently, and he also works closely with Yi Xiao Ran (featured in our home page video) and also Chen Fa Chu (together both being the longest serving Craftsmen with us). Craftsman Zhang Huan is naturally gifted, and extremely dedicated to perfecting his Art. His works have been noticed and appraised highly. The lines and detailing of his pots are unmatched for their prices. His lines and detailing speak of his EXTREME CARE AND TIME taken to craft each part, each pot. The lines and detailing speak of his fighting through his years from very challenging family conditions since young.
Only a very well-trained, experienced and skilful Craftsman will be able to understand the curves and proportions perfectly, and here beautifully captured and crafted by Craftsman Zhang Huan.
Craftsman Zhao's works are highly scrutinised by our Senior Masters, and deemed to be ready for you, delectable for your use and a long lasting permanent ZiSha work in your collection.
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Again, another tremendous labor of love by our trusted and committed collaborative Craftsman Zhang Huan. It is a team effort and we thank you dearest Friends for your grandest support to the honest and the dedicated Craftsladies and Craftsmen here left to fend the Fully-Handmade ZiSha Art.
Hold one, hold up one, swing his work around. Carefully examine his Fully-Handmade work. Look at it from afar, from near, and it will grow on you. The whole piece grow on you because 1) he takes reference from what the Senior Masters chose for him, 2) and he amazingly crafts them up EXACTLY as to what the Senior Masters want from him: extreme fine detailing with MUCH THOUGHT on each part, with MUCH TIME spent on every part, section. Because this is what Fully-Handmade ZiSha Art should be, and HOW FULLY-HANDMADE ZISHA ART is so different from and light years ahead of the ubiquitous jigger-machined pots and half-handmade pots masquerading under the sales tagline of "fully-handmade zisha" pots. These latter JM/HHM pots are made in what we call 流水线 a.k.a. 'Factory-Line operation' whereby the main pot body after being jigger-machined or coming off from the mould, is passed to the next worker who fits on the spout, and subsequently this second worker will pass the pot on to another worker who will in turn fit on the handle. Continuing so, the pressed lid is likewise passed to another worker who fit on the lid knob. EACH WORKER has NO IDEA what the other one is doing, and they are always working on fixed time lines stated by the boss. For example, the worker being "passed the baton" a pot with the spout just fixed onto the body by his colleague, will only focus on fixing on the handle, with nil to little regard to WHETHER THE HANDLE fixed on will be cohesive with the spout. Each worker has NO idea of HOW THE FINAL POT WILL LOOK LIKE. Beyond poor craftsmanship and clay, the result of such processes are ugly pots with poor cohesiveness which experienced Artists, Craftsmen and collectors will tell from a metre away. Experienced people in us, do not need to pick up a pot to check whether it is fully-handmade or made of zisha, we can tell from a metre away just by looking at the pot.
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The keywords are: Detailing and Cohesiveness.
A GOOD Fully-Handmade ZiSha Work combines great detailing and cohesiveness.
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Explained, https://www.realzisha.com/blogs/news/actual-zisha-landscape-at-yixing , the Craftsman by selling his hard-worked ZiSha craft at $190-$240, $45-$65 goes to the cost of the craft, inclusive of the fees for the firing for the kiln operator (three times per pot), the packaging boxes, and between $32 to $52 for the clay (Zi Ni Di Cao Qing, Duan Ni and upwards) used per pot. Craftsman takes 3 days (fastest 2.5days) to craft a pot.
If he works 30 days a month without a single day of rest (no family time), he will craft 10-12 pots.
If he crafts for 25 days (five days of rest a month), his output will be 8-10 pots.
The success rate for Zi Ni (e.g. Di Cao Qing, Lao Zi Ni, Da Shui Tan etc) and Duan Ni (e.g. Jiang Po Ni, Qing Hui Duan, etc) is 70% on average. Some times the whole batch of 10 may fail. We have seen our Craftsmen suffer like this very often.
The success rate for Zhu Ni (e.g. Xiao Mei Yao Zhu Ni) pots is 60%, or 70% with most optimism and at the very, very best. Unfortunately.
All of us at RealZiSha of course, hope for one another, professional colleagues and all, that all the pots will survive firing at the kiln successfully.
[For ZiSha models/designs that are very challenging and more complicated to craft, the time taken to craft will be longer, and the failure rate will be higher as well. Zi Sha by its virtue, have the highest shrinkage rate of all ceramic clay. Zi Ni and Duan Ni thus have that 70% success rate, while Zhu Ni has even higher shrinkage rate and thus even lower success rate (the lowest of all ceramic clay.)]
Our Craftsmen are wholeheartedly committed to the cause of Fully-Handmade ZiSha Art and their strictness with their craft and dedication earn our respect. We give a big Thank You all of these Craftsmen, for they are saving what is our common precious tea culture: Tea + Fully-Handmade ZiSha Art and Craft. Your support is critical to their livelihood and the existence of this craft for all of the tea fraternity.
Thank you Friends!
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Our Senior Masters have given Craftsman Zhang Huan the full blessings with all of us. He is fully-fledged at RealZiSha. Most important, after all the hard work,
We are very happy that he is now with all of you.
Presenting Zhang Huan and his hard-worked and fine-worked Pieces for you. One by one.
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