Shi Piao ZINI Teapot | Yixing Zisha
石瓢 - 千禧紫泥(表皮矿紫泥） | 宜兴紫砂
Artist: Shi Wen Jie, National Master of Arts & Crafts
Clay: Qian Xi Zini (also called Biao Pi Kuang Zini)
Capacity: 145ml
Pour Time: 9s
Made in Dingshan, Yixing
Unique Lot Numbers: 5024-2
A fully handmade piece in a super rare Qian Xi Zini.
Master Shi Wen Jie has crafted one of the most elegant Shi Piao pieces we have seen -- a sleek, low-profile design that sits low to the table, extremely stable and with a broad interior that allows full expansion of tea leaves and a balanced infusion.
Her mastery of skill is evident in the sides which don't slope straight down like lower grade molded pots, but instead curve subtly to give an organic feel. This is an example of her expertise in finishing and shaping the external surfaces of the clay by hand. The flattened, oval (not circular) spout is streamlined tastefully, and echoes the shape of the pot, while the handle sits across from it in perfect proportion.
Perhaps the most impressive element of this piece is the stunningly executed 纳底 na di or sunken-inward base of the teapot (see last pic), completely shaped by hand with a supremely refined construction. This is a challenging but exceedingly attractive style of crafting.
ABOUT THE CLAY
A unique Zini clay called "Qian Xi" or "Millenium" Zini, named after the location where it was secretly mined. This special zini clay is especially prized among artists and collectors in recent years for its tolerance to firing at very high temperatures, which gives a beautiful luster and ability to develop an exceptional patina. The color is remarkably unique and can be fully appreciated in direct sunlight, where an elusive shimmer of faint pink grains can be discerned running through the purple-grey. The raw clay has been painstakingly aged and tempered over the past few years by the artist, yielding a superb granularity of texture which you can see in close-up shots. Despite its grey overtone (a result of the unique ore composition as well as the high firing temp), this clay is classified as a true zini, not to be mistaken for duanni.
