The Floating Yixing Teapot

Lamplike in its subtly-wide poise, this Zini Shui Ping style teapot has the air of a wiser older sibling next to other Yixing pots. Its thin walls make it surprisingly light in the hand, and the 'balance' of its name is equally palpable. The arrow-straight spout features a built-in ball filter behind it, straining smaller tea leaves. The delicate curve just above its foot, the wide top of its body, the just-visible grain of the ore, and the upward arc of the stream as it pours are aesthetic pleasures which all speak to the mastery of its maker and the quality of its material.

The clay

The Floating Yixing teapot is made of Zini (紫泥) clay, a dark brown ore extracted from the famous mountain Huanglong shan (黄龙山).

Zini is ideal for steeping black teas and post-fermented Pu'er (Shu Pu'er); it is also a very good match to roasted and aged oolong teas.

Why is it called 'Floating'?

A centuries-old teapot form, 'Shui Ping' means literally 'water level' or 'balance'; it is characterised by the alignment of the tops of the body, spout, and handle, lending it an exceptional balance—indeed, many empty Shui Ping teapots will float on water, as this one does!

Why do I need a Yixing teapot?

The material and the shape of Yixing teapots are ideal for brewing tea. They bring out the tea flavor like no other tea vessel. Hand-made Yixing teapots are also valuable handicrafts sought after by collectors. Their value raises with time, usage and artist popularity.

Yixing teapots are made of a rare and depleting clay mined in the mountains near Yixing, a city in the Jiangsu province. The high density yet porous nature of the clay absorbs the smell of the tea brewed in it. For this reason, it is advised to use the pot with only one kind of tea (for instance with black teas or green teas). Bring your tea to the next level; allow yourself an authentic Yixing teapot.