184.8ml.
Skilful Craftsman Zhai Yi Yao 翟一耀 has officially joined up with Craftsman Wang Xing and us taking care of all the Zhu Ni Zi Sha Works from June 2024 onwards! He starts off with both his Xi Shi and Li XIng for us. Zhai Yi Yao and Wang Xing are former course mates for three years at the ZiSha school. He is one with us, working alongside his long time friend Craftsman Wang Xing.
Craftsman Zhai Yi Yao 翟一耀 collaborated with Craftsman Yi Hu Bi 一壶笔 (Artistic Byname) as Craftsman Zhai crafts the pot while Craftsman Yi engraves. Here Craftsman Yi chose the Bamboo engraving on this ZiSha work on the left face, and the right face are the inscripted words,
"Zhi Zu Chang Le" meaning:
Understanding Contentment, Always Happiness.
Very simple words which we in the tea culture, often relish and be at one with.
Zu 足 (as in Zu Gou 足够), means Contentment
Zhu 竹, means Bamboo.
Therefore this is s good wise semantics on words:
The engraving of bamboo on one side, and these four Chinese characters on the other side with the meaning elucidated above, are very apt!
Craftsman Zhai 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.
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Note on our TRUE Fully-Handmade Zhu Ni pots from RealZiSha: NOT those thick-/irregular-thickness-walled ones which are actually fake "Fully-handmade ZhuNi pots" utilising the cheating new technology: "车一刀 Che Yi Dao": Such ZhuNi pots utilizing Che Yi Dao process, have been sprouting up in the market since early 2022. Che Yi Dao involves a swivelling-rotational cutter that goes around a roughly-finished ZhuNi pot to cut the outer surface into a perfect shape. This cutter obliviates the need of accomplished skill of a true Fully-Handmaking Craftsman. Obviously, Che Yi Dao also absolves the need of a skilled FHM Craftsman to 1)pound the slab into a careful thin-slab, 2)paddle-pat the slab into a uniform shape purely manually.
Li Xing 梨形 is one of the most lovely Austere shapes which XiaoMeiYao is made into! A highly limited run here as well as our recent Fang Gu, Xi Shi, Pan Hu, Ming Lu, Shui Ping and JingZhou ShiPiao models. We hope you friends have loved all of them!
Li Xing 梨形 exudes the Aura of Chinese Orientalism, 2)for a narrowing top ZiSha model, it has a wider opening than Si Ting for better ease of introducing tea leaves and washing after steeping, 3)has a sharp-ish spout for decisive cutting of flow, and 4)has a slightly raised lid that stores a column of air above the tea water level when the lid is closed, so that during the initial first moment of pour with that few degrees of tilt, tea water flows out decisively and easily right from the start.
Crafted at ~180ml to cater for our tea friends who want a small ZhuNi pot for Gung Fu tea steepings, and suitable for one to two persons.
I have been hoping that a dark purple zini han wa would make its way into my tea set. This pot is more beautiful than I expected. The colour of the zini clay is amazing and the craftmanship is every bit as would be expected given its lineage.
I am most happy and appreciative. Thank you.
Gorgeous pot, so expertly crafted, with magical effect on tea. I’m in awe!
I am delighted with my new teapot from realzisha. It is well made, elegant and the perfect size. I am looking forward to using it often.
After spending months searching through Facebook Marketplace and other online marketplaces, I realized how difficult it is to find an authentic Yixing teapot. Most listings were either obvious replicas, had questionable descriptions, or simply weren’t what I was looking for.
In the end, I decided to order from RealZisha, and I couldn’t be happier with my decision.
I purchased the Qing Shi Li Mao Hu (清式笠帽壶), 214.9 ml, made from Tai Xi Lao Zi Ni (台西老紫泥), handcrafted by craftsman Zhu Shu (朱舒), with pine and calligraphy engraving by craftsman Wo You (卧游).
This teapot was exactly what I had been searching for: over 200 ml in capacity, a beautiful and less common traditional shape, and a clay with the deep, elegant color I had always wanted.
When it arrived, I was genuinely impressed. The craftsmanship exceeded my expectations. The proportions, balance, lid fit, finish, and the way it feels in hand are all exceptional.
I would like to sincerely thank Zhu Shu for creating such a beautiful teapot. The quality of the workmanship is remarkable, and every detail reflects great skill and dedication. I am equally impressed by Wo You’s engraving. The pine and calligraphy are elegant, beautifully executed, and perfectly complement the shape of the teapot.
Finally, thank you to the entire RealZisha team. Your passion for authentic Yixing craftsmanship and the respect you show to the artisans behind each piece made this purchase truly special. This is a teapot I will treasure for many years, and I look forward to enjoying countless sessions of Wuyi oolong with it.
This teapot is so nice! Brews awesome tea!