Zi Sha Tea Pots - Styles, shapes, sizes

One key aspect of zi sha is its natural, uncomplicated appearance, which is very much in contrast to some of the fine porcelain tea pots and tea sets that are often elaborately painted.

This appearance reflects the purity and admiration of nature that cha dao prescribes and that many tea lovers enjoy. Such reflections can be seen in the popularity of tea pots made to resemble bamboo, trees, insects, flowers and other aspects of nature. Simplicity is a corner stone in YiXing teapot production.

You will find that most tea pots are undecorated and follow simple lines, though that is not to say that they are of all the same style. Tea pots allow both the artist and the collector to express themselves, to capture history and combine a range of arts. You will find many tea pots engraved or painted with simple slip (liquid clay) designs and calligraphy. The range and diversity of styles is tremendous and innovation abounds. Each generation of master potters keen to add their mark to this wonderful aspect of practical and artistic pottery.

Well known zi sha tea pot styles

Shi piao hu
Long dan hu - dragon egg
Li xing - pear shaped
Xi shi hu - taken from a Tang dynasty story about a beautiful women.
Ban yue hu - half moon tea pot
Fang gu hu - ancient copy tea pot
Yu Ru - Jade breast

Zi Sha Tea Pot Spout types

Consideration of function is not just limited to visible outer functions such as the handle, lid, opening and the spout. The inner spout follows a number of different styles which have been developed over the centuries. Older zi sha tea pots have a single, large hole, however many newer pots now have a range of filters that prevent or at least reduce the amount of tea leaves that poured from the pot. When selecting your tea pot it is important to consider what type suits the type of tea you will prepare.

For convenience each of our YiXing teapot product pages clearly mentions how many holes each teapot has.

Zi Sha Teapot Shapes

The range of YiXing ZiSha teapot shapes is constantly expanding, though the fundamental shapes remain. We mentioned about the main styles above, and these styles capture the key shapes.

Round teapots tend to be suited as a great general purpose teapot as they allow the water and tea to move together and ensure a good infusion. Round teapots, are popular too for rolled, ball type oolongs. Flatter and wider teapots, are popular for strip oolongs and many puers. Taller teapots are popular for red tea.

Geometric shapes are popular with many artists and there are many impressive examples available from pentagonal through to decagonal. These teapots are normally always hand made and require a lot of skill to get balanced and to make the lids.

Zi Sha Tea Pot Sizes

One striking fact about zi sha tea pots is the range of sizes available. Some artists and collectors will specialise just in one size, others a broad range. The reasons behind the differences are both aesthetic and practical. Aesthetically, size allows for different styles to be produced and communicated. Practically, size meets the needs of different situations, numbers of guests and the amount of tea being drunk.

Within China many regions, ethnic groups tend to have preferences to what size is suitable for their requirements and the tea being drank. Tea being prepared in Gong Fu style will often use tea pots that are between 100cc and 300cc, with the large tea pots being used for red, black and pu er teas. Larger still tea pots are preferred by many in Zhejiang, Shanghai and Northern parts of China to prepare green and flower tea such as Jasmine.

Next - YiXing ZiSha Teapot clay types