Description
 
Zisha Zhu Clay Dragon Pearl Chiu Chow Teapot (130/180ml)
 
This Dragon Pearl Chiu Chow Teapot is from Best Wish Studio (如合) in Chiu Chow by Top Grade National Zisha Pot Artist (Zhang Linhao, 章林浩).
 
It is made of fine quality Zhu Clay in Chiu Chow of 10 years of aging. It is fully handmade and high fired at 1060 degree Cel. The particles of this Zhu clay is relatively small which gives it a smooth surface and high density . It comes in 2 volumns : 130 / 180 ml which the small volumns make it perfect for brewing Oolongs and Puerhs.
 
The clay in the Chiu Chow area containes high iron oxide content, fine and flexible texture without sand.  Tea pots created has a solid texture which allows exquisite engraving.
The pots have a charactistic of high breathability and impermeability. This helps to preserve the tender tea leaves in the high heat and meanwhile to withstand sudden cold and heat, continuous deviations between 20℃ and 150℃. 
 
This teapot holds approximately 130/180ml (+/- 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.
 
"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.
 
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.