In Chinese culture, the Moon Rabbit (月亮兔), also known as the Gold Hare (金兔), is a mystical figure and companion of the Moon Goddess. If you look up during the full moon, you'll see him with a mortar, pounding elixir of life for her and medicine for the mortals. Some see him making mooncakes.
The Moon Rabbit crowns this Dragon Egg teapot with hieroglyphs reading happy, joy (欢喜 – Huan Xi). Dragon, in Chinese culture, is a supremely auspicious figure, signifying wisdom and abundance. Dragon Egg (龙蛋 – Long Dan) is one of the classical Yixing Teapot shapes. This teapot shape was caroled by the famous Qing Dynasty poet Wu Dingmei. Such a shape allows for brewing unrolled tea leaves.
The maker of this fully handmade teapot is Fan Enbo, a young artist. For over a decade, he had been honing his yixing pottery skills, adhering to the long-lived traditions while integrating innovations and ingenuity. Studied under the guidance of highly acclaimed calligraphers, he mastered carving and painting crafts. Fan Enbo's exploration of Traditional Chinese Culture never stops. His skills, knowledge, exquisite taste, and unique vision set this young yixing artist aside from others and add value to his teapots.
Yixing clay, also known as ZiSha, originates in the Yixing region of Jiangsu Province, China. There are many varieties of clay under the general Zi Sha ("purple clay") umbrella term, all of which differ in color, and mineral content and therefore interact with teas differently. Yixing clay is very highly revered and reserved almost exclusively for the production of teaware.
Duan Ni (段泥) translates as "satin clay". The percentage of iron oxide in Duan Ni is always lower than other Yixing clay, anywhere from 2-4%, with a notably high firing temperature of 1117-1200°C. The color of the clay ranges from golden or beige to light yellow or even green.
Duan Ni clay teapots are more porous and absorbent than most Yixing clays. This type of ZiSha is able to retain heat quite well. Such qualities allow the clay to mellow out any harsh notes the tea may have, like the unbalanced smokiness or earthiness of darker teas.
• Capacity: 200ml
• Speed of pour: 13.5 ml/sec (since each teapot is individually crafted, the pouring speed may vary)
• Filter: traditional, 10 holes
• Material: DuanNi (Yixing Clay, ZiSha) – 段泥
• Shape: Long Dan (Dragon Egg) – 龙蛋
NOTE: This teapot is handmade. It makes each piece unique and one of a kind. Thus the teapot that you will receive may slightly differ from the one in the photos.
NOTE: Avoid using detergents when cleaning.