This unpretentious teapot, made in the classic Xi Shi style, is a perfect choice for a tea drinker wanting a classic-style, practical, and versatile genuine Yixing teapot that doesn't break the bank.
This style was named after Xi Shi, one of the "Four Beauties" of ancient China. It is said that when she would gaze from the balcony in to the pond below, the fish within would be so awestruck by her beauty that they would forget to swim and sink to the bottom. It is said that these women were so beautiful that they caused "the fishes to sink, the eagles to fall from the sky, shut down the moon, and put the flowers to shame." The beautiful West Lake, in Hangzhou (where Dragon Well is from), is said to be an incarnation of Xi Shi. Thus, it is fitting that this teapot is adorned with a hand-carved design showing a bird resting on the stalk of a lotus flower, a sight that would be common to see at West Lake. In China, Xi Shi, who has been a subject of Chinese art and poetry for thousands of years, is seen as a symbol of beauty and grace, embodied in this teapot.
This teapot was "half-handmade" in Dingshu Shan from authentic Yixing Xiao Hong Ni clay, a type of Zhuni (Cinnabar Clay) which contains a relatively high sand content.
("Yixing" is the name of the large city nearby, while Dingshu Shan, or Dingshu Mountain, is the location where the clay is mined and generally worked, and is the location of the old Dragon Kiln, where all Yixing, or "Zisha" as it's generally known in China, used to be fired. "Half-handmade" is the term used to describe teapots whose body was formed using a wooden mold, while the outer detail-work was done entirely by hand. In the west, this would be considered "hand-made.")
Material: Yixing Zhuni (Xiao Hong Ni) Clay
Volume: 140 ml
Length: 3.25"/8.2 cm
Width: 2.9"/7.4 cm
Height: 2.6"/6.4 cm