I have a really nice selection of Yixing teapots in my collection. I have shared them on Teapot Tuesday at various times and they are special.
If you have not heard of this specific type of teapot let me tell you just a bit about them. They get their name from the Yixing clay that they are composed of. This is a traditional style commonly used to brew tea in China and dates back to the 15th century. It is made from clay produced near Yixing in the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu.
Some of my teapots were gifts, of course, but some were ones that I have purchased in various places. I love how unique each one is. While these are very common teapots in China each has its own style.
Traditionally a Yixing teapot is small and the clay nature of the teapot can soak up the flavor of the tea that is brewed so I have seen it suggested that it is good to have a separate one for each type of tea you are brewing. The best teas to brew in this type of pot are black and oolong as well as the fermented pu-erh teas.
I got to thinking about my special Yixing pots this week because I saw this incredible video on Facebook. I knew I had to share it today because it is amazing to watch this artist form a teapot like one of these. It’s a fairly short video (under 2 1/2 minutes) and I would encourage you to watch this artist at work.