F1 “NZWH” Shuiping Teapot A

Name: F1 “NZWH” Shuiping Teapot A

Year: 1977-1986 (green Label period)

Volume:  133 ml 

Material: High-quality Nei Zi Wai Hong. High-fired.

Seal: Zhong Guo Yi Xing

Filter: Single hole

Pouring time: 10s +/-

(F1 “NZWH” Shuiping Teapot A)

This is a Factory 1 teapot that uses Nei Zi Wai Hong clay, meaning the teapot uses Purple clay but is coated on the outside with Red clay.
In those days, Red clay was more valuable and expensive, so they used this technique to lower costs.

Please take note of the following information: The craftsmanship of the teapot is acceptable but not perfect. The lid fits a little loosely, and when pouring, it takes about 10 seconds with some minor dripping. This teapot has some previous usage, so there are some tea stains both inside and outside. You could wipe off the tea stains on the outside surface.

There is a natural kiln crack around the base of the knob in the lid on the Zhini clay that joins the two pieces.  

There are some minor firing defects on the body and lid of the teapot. Please check the pictures. I marked them with an arrow.

The details mentioned above do not affect the usage in any way.

The price of the teapot is lower than usual because of these details. That said, the teapot has no chips or damage whatsoever. In case you want a teapot with better craftsmanship. I recommend choosing some of our Jing Dian Tao Fang teapots.

I have a few teapots of this type of clay from Factory 1. This clay is quite absorbent. It goes well with many kinds of roasted Oolongs, Shu Puer, Liu Bao, old sheng Puer and wet storage Sheng Puer. I have also used it with young Sheng Puer, and it mutes some of the higher notes of the tea.

However, I advise you to experiment with different teas and find what teas pair with the clay.

When buying a Factory One pot, please be aware of: 

Generally speaking, these teapots do not have perfect craftsmanship compared to many modern teapots. 

You can expect some natural kiln cracks on the (outer) surface of the clay, not perfectly aligned spout, knob and handle, tooling marks on the lid and mouth of the teapot, etc. Also, other natural signs from the kiln, i.e. black spots, which are iron oxide that melted during the firing. In addition, finding mica chips inside and outside of the teapot that look like tiny, shiny metal spots and silvery in appearance is frequent for these teapots.

When it comes to lid craftsmanship, it is rare to find a perfect fit. The lid tends to be slightly loose and may drip when pouring.