“The Pine” Handcraft Chinese Yixing Clay Teapot -190ml

The Pine is a 190ml Yixing teapot in the qiegua, or eggplant, form: a round full body, a flush-set lid shaped as the calyx, and a small curved stem for the knob. The clay is Jiangpo zisha, orange-red with a yellow cast and fine gold flecks through the surface. One face is hand-carved with an old pine leaning out over rock, a small figure walking beneath it. The reverse has two characters, 寻幽, roughly "seeking the quiet places." In Chinese painting the pine is an old symbol of long life.

Zisha is unglazed and porous, so it holds the aroma of what you brew. Keep the pot to one kind of tea and use it regularly. Jiangpo clay feels sandy rather than smooth, and you can see the grain in it. With use it picks up a soft sheen, which is the part you can't buy ready-made.

The belly is full and round, which matters more than it sounds. Tightly rolled oolong needs somewhere to go as it opens, and a narrow pot holds it half shut. A ball strainer sits inside the spout, so it pours clean even when the leaf has broken up. The maker's seal is stamped on the base, and it comes as a gift set.

In the gift set

• The Pine zisha teapot, 190ml
• Gift box, certificate, brocade pouch

The details

• Yixing zisha, Jiangpo clay
• Qiegua (eggplant) form, hand-carved pine with 寻幽 calligraphy on the reverse
• 190ml, sized for gongfu brewing
• Ball strainer in the spout
• Seasons to your tea with regular use
• Maker's seal on the base

This works well for

• Rolled and large-leaf teas. The round body gives tightly rolled oolong room to open all the way out
• Gongfu brewing of Dong Ding and other rolled oolongs, or ripe puerh
• Daily use, since 190ml suits one or two people
• Anyone building a Yixing collection who wants a second clay type

Joanne's tip

If you already have a Yixing pot dedicated to dark teas, this one pairs well with oolong. Jiangpo is a different clay to the standard purple zisha, warmer in colour, and I find it holds onto fragrance better than the heavier clays do. A rolled oolong like Dong Ding suits it: the leaf needs room to open before it gives you much, and this pot has the belly for that. We have a second Jiangpo pot with pine carving, Pine Wind, same clay and the same full belly at 240ml. If you mostly pour for one or two, this is the one. If there's usually a table, take that one.

Seasoning your new Yixing teapot

Before first use, season the teapot to open the clay's pores:

1. Rinse the lid, spout and body with warm water
2. Submerge in a pot of water (place a cloth underneath) and simmer for 30-60 minutes
3. Brew a strong batch of the tea you'll dedicate this pot to
4. Fill the teapot with the brewed tea and soak for at least 24 hours
5. Rinse with warm water and air dry

Never use soap on unglazed clay. Rinse with hot water after each session.

Shipping

Ships in its gift box, packed in foam, from Hobart, Tasmania. Free delivery on orders over $95 Australia-wide.