Mini Zhuni Aili 朱泥矮梨 (100 ml)

Mini Yixing Zhuni jug semi-handmade

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Volume: 100 ml

Material: Zhuni clay from Yixing

semi-handmade

Zhuni is the most valued Yixing clay, it is red with a hint of orange color. The clay was already forbidden to be mined decades ago by the Chinese government. This pot is made from the old Zhuni clay stored for decades by the Yixing handcrafter. The clay is very popular because of its beautiful transformation after a few months of usage. The color will change to a dark and shiny red, almost like a layer of beautiful glaze. But the pot is of course not glazed at all, the change of color is only because of the interaction between the clay with the tea that has been prepared inside.

A Zhuni teapot is usually very expensive not only because of the extinct Zhuni clay, also because this clay shrinks a lot when being fired. The teapots shrink from a large size to a much smaller size in the kiln, and most of them break in the process. Therefore, successfully making a teapot of Zhuni clay is very difficult. A fully handmade Zhuni teapot costs from thousands of Chinese money (at least hundreds of euros). This Zhuni Aili in our shop is half-handmade, so it is relatively more affordable.

The form of this Zhuni teapot is called Aili, which means a small pear in Chinese. The surface of the teapot has the shrinking mark of the Zhuni clay in firing. The pot is mini, only 100ml. It is perfect for drinking Gongfu tea alone, for savoring exclusive teas and simply for collecting the teapot for aesthetic purpose. Don't forget over the time the color tea pot changes. You will have a beautiful and shiny Zhuni Aili in a few months if you prepare tea in it very often.