Description
 
Yixing Zisha Zhu Clay Dragon Gate Teapot (400ml)
 
This Dragon Gate Teapot has the prequel of our Yixing Zisha Zhu Clay Tiamat Dragon Teapot (350ml) which is based on Chinese myths and legends. This pot dispicts the moment the Yellow Carp jumping over the Dragon Gate before transforming into a Roaring Dragon. This Dragon Gate Teapot is high fired at 1040-1060 degree Cel. The pot lid is made into the Carp jumping over the dragon gate bringing up the ripple of the water surface. A dragon gate is engraved on th epot body. The wave shaped pot bottom resembles the flowing cloud where the dragon soar.
 
"Red" is the classic color of the Chinese. In ancient times, it was called "Zhu". It is a noble and elegant color. Zhu Clay is a delicate and smooth which has fascinated countless pot lovers. Zhu Clay is actually a kind of red clay but with higher density and is produced from the bottom layer of clay soil. The minerals are mostly white, light yellow and golden yellow. After firing, It is like cinnabar, crimson red, hence regarded as Zhu clay.The biggest difference between Zhu Clay and other purple sand mud is that it has higher clay to sand ratio which makes the pots having small pores, and relatively lower gas permeability, which is very effective for retaining aroma (good with highly fragrant teas: oolongs / raw puerhs).
 
The shrinkage rate of drying and firing is large. The overall shrinkage ratio can reach about 25%, and the ratio of firing shrinkage is very easy to deform. Therefore, Zhu Mu has been mostly used for small pots.
 
This teapot holds approximately 350ml (+/- 5ml) and features a flat filter and tight-fitting lid and it allows for a very stable and comfortable hand feel that has to be experienced to fully appreciate.
 
Zisha (‘purple sand’) describes the reddish-brown color of the sedimentary soil which settled in ancient lakes and is now buried deep underground. The clay is compressed under heavy sedimentary rock formations throughout the Yixing region, southwest of Shanghai, in China’s Jiangsu province. Huanglong Mountain near Dingshu township has been the source of high quality purple clay ore for centuries. The mountain itself is rather ordinary – neither grand or pretty – but it is 350 million years old.These teapots are prized because their unglazed surfaces absorb traces of the beverage and develop a patina, which enhances the taste, color and aroma of fine tea.