The egg-shaped design is known as Yuanqiu in China, which means Round Ball.

They come in two sizes and are both crafted by highly regarded artist Zhu Xinnan （朱新南）.

Click To Enlarge

There are two sizes available.

The larger pot (350 milliliters) is made from a special purple clay called Qingshuini (清水泥), which means Clear Water Clay. It is orangey brown in color. The calligraphy has been engraved and it says:

观水欲知源

The 5 words express the sentiment of a tea lover meditator, which can be translated as:

Watching the tea and water, I wonder where it comes from?

Click To Enlarge

The smaller pot (170 milliliters) is made of purple clay (Zini). It is brown in color. There is no calligraphy engraved on the smaller tea pot.

Both pots have a natural luster and require only a couple of weeks of seasoning to see the shine.

You can see it by clicking on the picture on the right.

On the left is a new pot. On the right is the seasoned pot after one week. You can see that the seasoned pot has acquired a warm, dark hue.

What's the most important thing when buying a Yixing tea pot?

Yes, it is making the right connection with the creator - in this case - Mr Zhu Xinnan.

He is the only person that can get the design, functions and clay right.

Counterfeits of Mr Zhu's pots are rampant in China these days. We commissioned our pots directly from him, so you can be assured of the quality.

You will also find Mr Zhu's seal at the bottom of the pot. The four characters says "Zhu Xin Nan Make".

You will also receive a photo of him holding this pot.

The larger tea pot is made of Qingshuini clay (350 milliliters) and has 14 holes behind the mouth.

The smaller tea pot is made of Zini clay (170 milliliters) and has 9 holes behind the mouth.

We have tested it according to the guidelines of How to Buy Chinese Tea Set and found that it passes all the tests prescribed.

The smaller tea pot will come with 2 cups made from lower grade Yixing purple clay.

This larger tea pot will come with 4 cups made from lower grade Yixing purple clay.

The price includes courier shipping. For US and Western Europe, it will take 5 to 10 days to arrive.

You see, although there are ten of thousands of potters in Yixing, only a few hundreds can be regarded as masters with official titles.

Mr Zhu Xinnan (朱新南）, born in 1957 in Yixing from a long line of potters, is one of these elites. In Yixing, he is well-known for being an extremely skilled potter and a wealthy man with a large inventory of rare, seasoned Yixing clay.

Zhu Xinnan - Yixing Tea Pot Master

Yixing Chinese Tea Pot - A Gongfu Tea Drinker's Complete Guide

How to appreciate and buy a Yixing Chinese tea pot for gongfu tea brewing.

Back to Top of Yixing Chinese Tea Pot

Back to Tea Shop Main Page