My latest acquisition is the result of searching San Francisco's antique stores and Chinatown high and low, looking for teaware treasures. Given the large Chinese and Japanese populations, I was a bit surprised that I only found a couple things worth buying. Among them was this pot, hidden among a bunch of junky Yixing in an antique mall. I don't think this pot is older than the 90's, but maybe one of the experts here can take an educated guess as to the age? The shape screams "use me for yancha!"
Clay: Fine grained Zisha (or maybe zisha/zini mix?). Medium fired.
Size: 130 ml
Age/Year: 90's? Early 00's?
Walls: Thick!
Pour: +/- 6 sec. No drips. Good lid fit.
Source: San Francisco Antique Mall
Tea Pairing: Wuyi oolong all the way! Too big for solo sessions, but perfect for 3-5 people. (Or maybe 2 yancha addicts. *cough* Brandon *cough*)
Info: When I first saw this pot in the dim lighting of the antique mall, I thought it was almost black. I've had bad experiences with fake Hei Ni (black clay) before, so I almost put it back. Luckily I brought it over to a window to see it was actually dark zisha. I'm just beginning to test the pot, but so far so good. Seems to round the mouthfeel of teas a bit, focuses the flavors, and maintains the sweetness. Might not be ideal for a lighter floral yancha, but should be perfect for the high fire ones. The thick walls hold the heat
very well.