Wood Fired Handpicked TianQingNi Julun Yixing Teapot 柴烧天青泥巨轮珠 150ml
Size: Approximately 150ml Photos are of actual teapot. Only 1 available. Lin Hanpeng has reserved the remaining amount of tianqingni ore for limited releases. The remaining ore was handpicked from Lin Hanpeng's supply of TianQingNi ore for its purity. As this stock has less lipini (the ore found alongside TianQingNi), the finished clay has fewer lipini flecks (light white/yellow flecks on the surface). The legendary TianQingNi 天青泥 was believed to be the finest purple clay (zini) in Yixing, and was prized above other kinds of zini for making teapots during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The clay is a dark liver colour. You can read more about the processing of TianQingNi from raw ore to finished teapot here. You can read more about the history of this legendary clay here. TianQingNi is classified as zini and can be used the same way as teapots made of other kinds of zini (dicaoqing, qinghuini, etc.). It will negate harsher aromas and flavours – storage and smoky aromas among others – allowing the more subtle flavours of these teas to emerge. This teapot was fired in a traditional wood kiln in Yixing. The pattern, color and finish are the result of being fired uncovered in a wood kiln for 3 days and 4 nights. The pine wood ash falls on the surface of the teapot forming a natural glaze that is sometimes glossy black, red, brown, yellow, green or any combination of these colors. Wood Fired Yixing Teapots each have their own special appearance, no two are the same. Photos are of actual teapot. Learn more about our Wood Fired Yixing Teapots here: https://www.mudandleaves.com/blog/wood-kiln-yixing-teapots This teapot is known as "half-handmade" as the sculptor uses a molding tool to shape the body, and uses his hands for the handle, spout, holes, and smoothing out the body. In fact, no machine was used in it's shaping as the use of the tool is entirely manual. You can read more about half handmade teapots in our blog entry here. This teapot was made by Lin Hanpeng and Chen Chunhong Studio. A sample of this clay (from an electric fired teapot) was sent for testing by an independent lab using Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (EDXRF). EDXRF is a preferred method for testing, as it is non-destructive, and provides immediate data on the elemental composition of the material. The results (testing sheet photo included below) show no chemical additives. Please note that since the sample came from a teapot that wasn't wood fired, testing for this teapot would show different results as the testing would reflect the content of the wood fired ash glaze. The information provided in the sheet below is for reference of the batch of clay only. For more information on the testing and what the results mean, please see this article. Preparation Before Use Yixing Teapots should be prepared before using the first time. This is called "opening the pot". It removes the dust from firing the teapot. We recommend rinsing the teapot under warm water two or three times, then filling the teapot with boiling water and emptying it out two to three times. After this the teapot is ready for use.