We have wanted to add some wood-fired pots to our Fang Xia range of Yixing teapots for some time now & are very happy to be able to offer these. These were fired in a wood kiln in Yixing that fires once each month. Each firing takes three days to complete. The pots are placed inside a protective container called a 'xia bo', as used in ancient times to protect the surface from becoming glazed with ash. The wood firing creates a unique finish on the surface, a slight shine & seems to make the water taste smoother and more refined when brewing tea.
The shape is based on a Qing Dynasty pot also.
This Zini original ore came from a high quality aged zini clay, called Zhong Cao Qing, from Yixing's Huanglongshan. It was collected in the early 2000's by someone who deals with small batches of original ore. He stone ground and processed it without any additives (other than water!). This works very well for puerh, wuyi yancha and fermented teas., slightly rounding the rougher edges, bringing fuller mouthfeel while still allowing the character of the tea to shine.
This pot is half-handmade - we created a form for the body and lid to allow the potter to recreate these shapes accurately and with regularity. This also helps to keep the price down a lot more than fully-handmade pots. The walls are medium-thin and the pour is fast and smooth.
