by Patrick

by Patrick

​As we mentioned in our article discussing duanni clay, the name “duanni” can refer to a broad category of zisha (Yixing clay) defined as being those clays that do not fall under the category of zini (purple clay) or hongni (red clay). Within the category "duanni," there is also the clay called “Benshan Duanni” 本山段泥. Another well-known clay within the “duanni” category is Benshan Lüni 本山绿泥. Although both are yellow clays mined from the same mountain, they differ in origin, composition and character.

by Patrick

We receive questions from time to time about teapot pricing, the scarcity of certain kinds of clay, and their value in the zisha (Yixing clay) market. It can be difficult to get an accurate sense of the zisha market online. Information about the industry is difficult to find in English, and rumour and myth often substitute for fact. 

1 ½ tons of rock sat in the yard behind Lin Hanpeng’s studio in Yixing while men smashed it into pieces with hammers. This rock, after crushing, separating and processing, yielded mostly tianqingni, but also some lipini. While tianqingni is seen as one of the most precious varieties of zini (purple clay), lipini is rarer still, appearing only in thin layers between tianqingni deposits. As we mentioned in our previous article, lipini is a kind of lüni, a soft and crumbly zisha ore containing relatively little iron oxide and appearing pale yellow after firing.
 
The tianqingni clay will sit in storage ageing for another 6 months or more before it is ready to be used. However, Lipini doesn’t require the same resting period. As I write, a small set of lipini teapots has just emerged from the kiln.
 
Having fired a lipini teapot successfully, Lin Hanpeng turned to write an article to detail the steps taken from raw ore to finished teapot. The following is our English translation of Lin Hanpeng's article with photos courtesy of Mr. Lin.

by Patrick

The fragrant rolled oolong from DaYuLing is prized for being the highest elevation tea produced in Taiwan. Unfortunately for DaYuLing oolong drinkers, the Taiwanese government has been reclaiming this area over the last few years. Some of these farms were said to be in violation of land use regulations, and in some cases, land leases had expired. Mountain erosion and pollution being concerns, the reclaimed farmland has had its tea trees removed and is being replanted with local vegetation.
 
The DaYuLing Tea Gardens are named after their location in kilometers along Highway 8. Several of these gardens, such as 104K and 103K, have already had their gardens reclaimed. We were very happy to be able to source DaYuLing oolong grown from the 100K tea garden and processed by our tea partner in Taiwan, Hsieh Jiang Lin. Only a few of these gardens have avoided reclamation, and some may yet be reclaimed. The 100K Tea Garden is one of them.

by Patrick

​Tian qing ni 天青泥 has taken on a legendary status for many Yixing teapot enthusiasts. Said to be the finest variety of zini (Yixing purple clay),  most of the information available about tian qing ni can be found in sources that rely on ancient references to the clay as well as surviving examples of antique tian qing ni teapots and the raw ore (such as the examples found today in the Yixing Ceramics Museum).

by Siyan and Patrick

This is part 2 of our interview with Lin Hanpeng, the co-owner along with Chen Chunhong, of an Yixing Teapot Studio. Click here to read part 1 of our interview.

by Siyan and Patrick

​The first time we met Chen Chunhong and Lin Hanpeng was at the tea table of their shop in Guangzhou. Chen Chunhong chatted with us as she poured us each a cup of shu pu'er. Her husband Lin Hanpeng was discussing clay with some customers. At the time the two were very busy with a growing customer base - thanks largely to word of mouth among zisha (Yixing Clay) enthusiasts in the city. Their shop was known for the authenticity of its teapots - only using original ore zisha and focusing on functionality. They worked with a few reliable artists out of Yixing. They soon left their shop in Guangzhou to establish their own studio in Yixing.

Seeing how busy their little studio is today, it is clear that whatever challenges they faced initially, their move had been a success. We spoke with Lin Hanpeng to hear more about these challenges and how their studio fits into the modern zisha industry.