Selecting and Preparing Yixing Tea Ware
Choosing Your Zisha Yixing Teapot
Zisha teapots are very popular among collectors, but although a respected art form these fine ceramic pieces are not just for decoration. The pot exists as a partner to the tea and should be used and enjoyed.In general there are five styles of zisha tea ware and through experience and time you will slowly begin to discover what pot best suits your personal style and needs.
- Round Tea Pot: This is generally considered a feminine design. The open structure is great for the use of tightly packed oolong teas like Monkey Picked because the space allows for the full opening of the leaves.
- Square Tea Pot: A masculine design that is extremely difficult to make. If not assembled correctly the firing process can easily distort the angles of a square pot ruining the overall design. The walls are generally thicker so these tea pots are good for strongly oxidized teas that require a higher water temperature to get a full flavored infusion.
- Ribbed Tea Pot: This is a very difficult design that is similar in shape to a round tea pot. It takes a very skilled craftsperson to create a ribbed tea pot that is perfectly matched between the body, lid, and spout.
- Nature and Mythology Motifs: To beginning tea drinkers these tea pots are very appealing because they require little knowledge of tea to be appreciated. Often depicting common animals and mythology, these pots are delightful to look at.
- Tea Ware Replications: It has become increasingly popular for zisha potters to recreate famous historical tea sets that had been constructed from various other materials. This type of tea set is used mostly for display.
Steps to prepare your new Zisha Yixing Pot
There are two ways to prepare a zisha tea pot for use. One requires boiling the entire pot in water, but unless you are experienced with this process it is easy to damage the delicate structure of your pot. We recommend the method described below because it is both safe and effective.
- Pour room temperature water inside your tea pot and let sit for 4-5 hours.
- Pour the water out and add boiling water to the inside of your pot. Let the water soak until the water decreases to room temperature.
- Choose the type of tea that you would like to enjoy in your new pot. Place some tea leaves inside the pot and pour boiling water inside. Let the water cool to room temperature then pour out.
- Add water again to the same batch of leaves and let it cool for a second time, once cool discard both water and tea.
- Your pot is ready to be used.
Enjoy!
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