Yixing pots for Pu

One of the intentionally aged teas, Pu-Erh has a loyal following.


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Oct 10th, '08, 01:26
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Yixing pots for Pu

by PolyhymnianMuse » Oct 10th, '08, 01:26

I'm actually in the market for a decent yixing pot for sheng pu. I would preferably like one with a large opening to get the larger stuff in the pot without any issues and having to break it all up. Does anyone have any good suggestions?

Something around 120-150 ml would be perfect I think.

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Oct 10th, '08, 01:49
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by chrl42 » Oct 10th, '08, 01:49

I think any clay would work fine with Puerh. Yet I tend to suggest thicker pot as Puerh is brewed at high temperature. And I heard round looking pot's good at preserving heat and fast pouring also might help as it tends to be brewed rather shortly.

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by Salsero » Oct 10th, '08, 01:49

The other day, t4texas linked us to this wide mouthed pot at Teapot Gallery. It looks nice enough and cheap enough that I am tempted myself ... despite now having more teapots than I know what to do with.

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Oct 10th, '08, 02:14
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by tsusentei » Oct 10th, '08, 02:14

I use different pots depending on the type of puer I am steeping at the time.

For a younger shu puer I tend to use a rather porous low-fire pot. It takes the edge off and makes a young shu taste much rounder than it might normally.
Image

Whereas, for a younger sheng I will use a high-fire to bring out the aroma of the fresher tea.
Image

I will usually give an older cake porcelain or glazed ceramic, so as not to lose or alter any of the subtle development. The pot pictured is actually not glazed, but it is a very high-fire non-porous Japanese pot.
Image

Terrible photos, but I am a tea-drinker, not a photographer(^^)
Last edited by tsusentei on Oct 10th, '08, 04:09, edited 1 time in total.

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Oct 10th, '08, 03:17
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by Salsero » Oct 10th, '08, 03:17

These pots have the beauty and soul that come from use, tsusentei. Thanks for sharing them. They don't require fancy photography to shine.

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Oct 10th, '08, 04:14
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by tsusentei » Oct 10th, '08, 04:14

Salsero wrote:These pots have the beauty and soul that come from use, tsusentei. Thanks for sharing them. They don't require fancy photography to shine.
Thanks Sal. I am hesitant to put pictures up sometimes because of the high quality of yours and others'.

I find that the relationship with my teapots goes both ways: I take care of them, and they take care of me. The low-fire one, in particular, is like magic. The dirtiest shoe-polish shu comes out like a 98' menghai.

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Oct 10th, '08, 09:05
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by Salsero » Oct 10th, '08, 09:05

tsusentei wrote: Thanks Sal. I am hesitant to put pictures up sometimes because of the high quality of yours and others'.
Everyone loves to see pictures even if they are not high quality ... though these of your are indeed wonderful quality.

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Oct 10th, '08, 10:22
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by hop_goblin » Oct 10th, '08, 10:22

Salsero wrote:
tsusentei wrote: Thanks Sal. I am hesitant to put pictures up sometimes because of the high quality of yours and others'.
Everyone loves to see pictures even if they are not high quality ... though these of your are indeed wonderful quality.
Pictures Rock! However, Sal, yours are my favorite :wink:

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Oct 10th, '08, 13:22
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by eanglin » Oct 10th, '08, 13:22

This one is on its way to me now; http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0184287061

I ordered it for the wide mouth, and for the lovely orange-peel texture to the clay.
I'll let you know how it looks after it arrives.

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Oct 10th, '08, 16:07
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by heavydoom » Oct 10th, '08, 16:07

eanglin wrote:This one is on its way to me now; http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0184287061

I ordered it for the wide mouth, and for the lovely orange-peel texture to the clay.
I'll let you know how it looks after it arrives.
good luck keeping that little lion on top of the lid intact in the years to come. :wink:

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Oct 10th, '08, 16:29
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by Salsero » Oct 10th, '08, 16:29

eanglin wrote: This one is on its way to me now.
Looks good. Large mouth for big leaves and I love the "skin" on the clay. Nice texture. Do tell us more when it arrives.

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Oct 10th, '08, 19:05
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by eanglin » Oct 10th, '08, 19:05

heavydoom wrote:
eanglin wrote:This one is on its way to me now; http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0184287061

I ordered it for the wide mouth, and for the lovely orange-peel texture to the clay.
I'll let you know how it looks after it arrives.
good luck keeping that little lion on top of the lid intact in the years to come. :wink:
The lion is actually my least favorite part of the pot- if he breaks I'll gladly replace him with a jade bead. (If the lid is still intact! I have horrible luck with pots.)

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Oct 10th, '08, 19:17
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by tsusentei » Oct 10th, '08, 19:17

eanglin wrote:
heavydoom wrote:
eanglin wrote:This one is on its way to me now; http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0184287061

I ordered it for the wide mouth, and for the lovely orange-peel texture to the clay.
I'll let you know how it looks after it arrives.
good luck keeping that little lion on top of the lid intact in the years to come. :wink:
The lion is actually my least favorite part of the pot- if he breaks I'll gladly replace him with a jade bead. (If the lid is still intact! I have horrible luck with pots.)
I don't mind the lion(?)! I think s/he is cute. This is my little pixiu topped sheng puer pot:
Image I like the feet on your pot as well. That is something that none of my pots have.

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Oct 11th, '08, 20:22
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by eanglin » Oct 11th, '08, 20:22

tsusentei wrote: I don't mind the lion(?)! I think s/he is cute. This is my little pixiu topped sheng puer pot:
Image I like the feet on your pot as well. That is something that none of my pots have.
Aww, yours is *definately* a lion! Are those little lion faces around the outside?

Mine arrived today- and it looks much nicer in person!
As I was unpacking it, my son (3) exclaimed 'Look mom, Teapot has piggy feet!'
And it does- the feet are little pig faces, complete with ears.
I think it is what has been called half handmade. I can see faint seams where the piggy feet have been applied around the base.
I can also see a seam under the spout where panels of clay were joined together- it looks different than the seams on slip-cast items, which I have a lot of experience with, having worked porcelain for many years. (Family business growing up was porcelain doll replacement parts.)

There are stamps all over this little beauty- one on the bottom, two on the base of the handle one inside the lid and one inside in the center bottom of the pot.
Tool marks radiate out from the stamp in the center bottom of the pot like the rays of a sun and extend 3/4 of the way up the inside walls of the pot- they feather out about where the angle of a smoothing tool would become awkward, just under the rim.

Grit of the clay is very consistent, inside and out and *seems* to extend right into the pour-holes and vent hole, so I believe this is a solid gritted clay construction, not slip-washed with textured clay. Pour and vent holes are cleanly cut and smooth. Very nicely formed. The Foo-dog is also nicely made. He is hollow and the inner vent hole goes up into his body where it connects via the hollow space to the external vent hole between the Foo-dogs front legs.

I wish I had a better camera to take pictures, but my photos would show even less detail than the Ebay listing.

Is there anything else I should examine and report on?

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Oct 11th, '08, 20:29
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by tsusentei » Oct 11th, '08, 20:29

Sounds like a great pot. How does she pour??? And he is not a lion, but a pixiu...I believe. (^^)

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