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A Tea Set for One
Pot, Cup and Infuser
$17.95 |
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Assam Tea Press
Bodum tea press
$18.95 |
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Cast Iron Teapot - Black
Tetsubin Teapot
$55.00 |
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Cast Iron Teapot - Butterscotch
Tetsubin
$55.00 |
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Cast Iron Teapot - Scarlet Red
Tetsubin Teapot
$55.00 |
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Cast Iron Teapot -Rust
Tetsubin Teapot
$55.00 |
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Chatsford Teapot, 2 cup
English style brown betty teapot with infuser
$24.95 |
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Chinese Yixing Teapot
Pumpkin
$19.95 |
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Chinese Yixing Teapot
Rings
$19.95 |
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Chinese Yixing Teapot
Blue Rose
$26.95 |
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Crackle Teapot, 15 oz.
Porcelain teapot with removable infuser, 15 oz.
$23.50 |
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Crackle Teapot, 22 oz.
Porcelain teapot with removable infuser, 22 oz.
$27.95 |
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Cream and Sugar Set, 11 oz
Beehouse cream and sugar set
$32.95 |
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Cream and Sugar Set, 7 oz
White porcelain set
$27.95 |
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Daily Daisies
Porcelain Tea Set
$29.95 |
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Herbal Teapot
Large herbal teapot with stainless infuser
$21.95 |
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Round Asian Teapot, 15 oz.
Porcelain teapot with stainless infuser
$18.95 |
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Round Asian Teapot, 22 oz.
Porcelain teapot with stainless infuser
$26.95 |
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Swiss Gold Tea for One Set
Porcelain tea set
$22.95 |
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Yixing,
pronounced yeeshing, were highly
prized for their porous nature, which is
excellent at absorbing the flavor of tea.
Europeans would try to imitate the craft of
producing the pots; however, their clay
could not compete with the unique purple
clay found only in Yixing, China and artists
could not master the difficult skill of
crafting the pots. Yixing tea pots are
handrafted tea pots from the Yixing region
of the Ding-Shu province of Jiangshu China.
These pots date from the Sung Dynasty
(960-1279). The purple clay was mined
around Lake Taihu. Yixing tea pots were
unknown to other parts of the world until
the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) when production
and use began to spread. They became very
popular throughout China and Europe.
Yixing
tea sets are made from a clay called “Zisha”.
No chemicals or other additives are added to
the clay during its production. The clay
contains iron, quartz and mica that are
unique to the Yixing area. The dark brown or
“purple sand” pots are the most prized. The
clay also occurs naturally in two other
colors: light buff and cinnabar red (terra
cotta). The Cinnabar red clay is actually
soft and yellow in its natural state and
changes to red during the firing process.
The clay is originally mined in large rocks
then weathered outside for about a year.
The clay is then extracted, dried, and
pounded into a powder. The powder is passed
through a bamboo sieve to remove stones and
impurities. The powered clay is then placed
in a pool of fresh water for three days,
then dried out in the sun. The clay is then
cut into blocks and sold to artisans. The
artisan pounds the clay blocks with a wooden
mallet and works the clay to the right
consistency. (A process that takes about two
days). The clay is ready when the cut
interior is smooth, shiny and has no air
pockets.
The clay used
for Yixing tea pots is similar to that used
for the English “Brown Betty”. Both pots
have superior heat retention capability,
permeability, and high plasticity. However,
most Brown Bettys are glazed and Yixing tea
pots are not.
The tea pots are
then built by a single artisan who beats the
clay into a flat sheet. The walls, bottom
and lid of the teapot are all cut from the
clay sheet. The pieces are assembled on a
hand turned wheel and shaped with a
spatula. Round pots are beaten into shape
and smoothed out with tools made of wood and
buffalo horn. After the decoration is added
to the pots, they are fired in the “dragon
kilns”, so named because at night the hot
kilns looked like glowing dragons hugging
the mountain.
More about Yixing
Tea Pots
Yixing
tea sets are very collectible.
During the seventeenth,
eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries, scholars praised,
made and inscribed the pots.
Lotus flowers and animals are
the most popular designs. Yixing
tea pots increase in value with
time and use, the flavor build
measures age up on the inside
and the patina on the outside of
the pot.
How To Care For Your Yixing Tea
Pot
“Yixing tea sets should be
seasoned with the type of tea
that you will always want to
brew in the pot. First, brew a
strong pot of the tea you will
be using and let the tea remain
in the pot until it gets cool.
Empty the pot, rinse with water
and brew again. Let the pot
cool and empty again, removing
all tea leaves. These first two
seasoning brews are not good to
drink, so wait until the third
brew. You should air dry your Yixing tea pot with the lid off
of the pot. Leaving the lid on
will encourage mold to grow.
Never use soap, never put in the
dishwasher, and only use cool or
warm water to rinse your Yixing
tea pot”
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