This Qin Quan teapot is handmade with Yixing Purple Clay (Zi Ni – 紫泥) from one of the Three Original Mines of Yixing – Huang Long Shan (黃龍山), and decorated with Black Clay (Hei Ni – 黑泥).
Qin Quan (秦权) means "the right of Qin" or "the power of Qin". The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, unified China's weights and measures. From this moment on, Qin's measures prevailed. That's how the teapot got its name.
Our Qin Quan yixing teapot is made using two kinds of clay – Purple clay and Black clay. The teapot master used Hei Ni to decorate the outer part of the teapot, as this clay type is quite rare. The teapot features an exquisite Taotie (饕餮) pattern. Taotie is the name of a legendary ferocious animal, the fifth son of the Dragon King. The prominent lines of this Qin Quan teapot match well with the vivid, eye-catching lines of the pattern in a bold design.
Hei Ni (黑泥) is a Yixing clay that fires to a very dark, almost black body. It tends to be dense and stiff to work with, so makers use it as an outer decorative layer rather than as the main structural clay.
For the outer layer, Yang Kui, the potter, used a Fen Jiang (粉浆) decorative technique. Fen Jiang uses fired clay, which is dried thoroughly and ground into powder. He then mixes it with a fixed proportion of water and paints the outside (or inside) of the teapot. The technique is called 以泥饰泥 (Yi Ni Shi Ni), which means "using clay to decorate clay" or "decorating clay with clay". This technique creates a striking layering effect.
The insides and the teapot itself are made of Yixing Zi Ni (紫泥). During the Ming dynasty, it acquired a reputation of being the highest-quality material for teapots. Yixing clay's breathable micro-structure and steady heat retention soften some harsh edges in the liquor, resulting in sweeter, rounder taste and aroma.
The maker of this Qin Quan teapot is Yang Kui, who specializes in fully handmade teaware. Rather than simply imitating the tradition, he studies its cultural connotations in depth, thoroughly understanding the artistic concept of Zi Sha.
• Capacity: 180ml
• Speed of pour: 16 ml/sec (since each teapot is individually crafted, the pouring speed may vary)
• Filter: ball filter, 7 holes
• Material:
Interior: Huang Long Shan ZiNi (Yixing Clay, ZiSha) – 黃龍山紫泥
Exterior: HeiNi (Yixing Clay, ZiSha) – 黑泥
• Shape: Qin Quan ("The Right of Qin") – 秦权
NOTE: This teapot is handmade. It makes each piece unique and one of a kind. Thus, the teapot you receive may differ slightly from the one in the photos.
NOTE: Avoid using detergents when cleaning.