Hand-picked in Jianshui’s clay workshops
Michael Zhan found this teapot during a visit to the kilns of Jianshui in early autumn 2024. The town sits on a plateau at 1,320 metres, surrounded by hills where the purple iron-rich clay has been dug for centuries. Jianshui ware is denser and heavier than Yixing — it absorbs heat more slowly and retains it with a steady, almost deliberate rhythm. That makes it especially suited to old-tree pu’er, which likes a gentle, sustained temperature rather than a quick flash.
The potter who made this piece runs a small family workshop on the outskirts of town. He uses a locally mined mix of clays — purple body, fine grey slip, and a slip-trailing technique drawn from Yunnan folk pottery. Every pot is hand-thrown without a mould, then fired in a saggar at 1,200°C for over sixteen hours. The interior receives a thin coat of natural ash glaze, leaving the clay breathable but smooth enough for any pu’er cake.
Michael selected this batch of 100ml pots for their compact balance and how they pour — a broad, seven-hole filter and a clean, drip-free spout. Each one carries slight variations in burnish and texture, so no two are quite alike. He keeps coming back to Jianshui not for tradition alone, but for the quiet feel of a pot that does its work without drawing attention to itself.