Yixing Hong Pi Long Shipiao 红皮龙石瓢 (220 ml)

Semi-handmade mini teapot in the traditional Shipiao shape

Material: Original Yixing Hong Pi Long red clay

Volume: 220 ml

A Gongfu teapot in traditional Shipiao shape, semi-handcrafted from Yixing Hong Pi Long red clay, ideal for Shu Pu Erh and rock teas.

Hong Pi Long is a type of red clay that is more sandy and with more mineral grains on the surface than other red clays. Some researchers at the beginning argued that this clay was actually purple clay, as its ore looks purple like that of a purple clay. But the artisans of the teapot argued that this clay behaved completely differently from purple clay in the oven. Purple clay requires a higher temperature than Hong Pi Long to finish. Hong Pi Long also has a lot more yellow and black grains on the surface of the finished product. When the temperature gets higher than, 1175 degrees Celsius, more black grains appear due to the high amount of iron in the clay. The artisans believe that Hong Pi Long behaves more like a red than a purple tone. Please refer to the photos of the ore and the fired clay in the photos I took from a book on Yixing clay ( p. 116，Yixing Zisha Ore 宜兴 紫砂矿料） took out.

Hong Pi Long is also sandier than the purple clay and creates a lower pitch when the lid is clicked against the body of the teapot. Hong Pi Long dries much faster than a purple clay if hot water is washed over the teapot, as it is very porous and absorbent.

Seasoning a Hong Pi Long teapot takes less time than a purple clay teapot. A Hong Pi Long teapot first becomes deeper in read and then shinier. So you will experience how your Hong Pi Long teapot first turns dark red from a dull and dull orange-red. The shine comes a little later than the change in color. The result looks like a Zhuni teapot from a distance.

It is a perfect teapot for making Gongfu tea. Both for practical tea preparation and for aesthetic appreciation.