Description
 
Yixing Zisha Tian Qing Clay Half Moon Peony & Lotus Teapot (350 ml)
 
This Half Moon Peony & Lotus Teapot is made of rare Celestial (Tian Qing) Clay. Celestine clay is a kind of purple mud, its raw ore radiates a light bluish color and that's why it is called celestial clay. The grey color give it an extra antique appearance. These two pots dispicts the peony and lotus blooming. The clay is well mixe with other colored clay such as purple clay and green clay and added to the pot body after shaping by hand. 
 
The celestial clay is a thin layer in purple clay layer of Huanglong Mountain ore with very limited existence.  It is high fired at about 1180 degrees.  After firing, it is light to dark grey color , the color is antique, dignified and solemn. After the raising,  there is a hint of imperial glaze in the simplicity which makes it one of the most popular clay type. It goes well with most teas including :Light Roasted Oolongs , Raw & Ripe Puerh, Black , White 
 
This teapot holds approximately 350ml (+/- 5ml) and features a flat filter and tight-fitting lid. The walls of this teapot are relatively thick, but it allows for a very stable and comfortable hand feel that has to be experienced to fully appreciate. It also includes a certificate from the artist indicating the artist’s name, teapot shape and clay composition.
 
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.