F1 Shi Piao Teapot

Name: F1 Shi Piao Teapot (Stone Gourd Ladle)

Year: Late 90s 

Volume: 77 +/- ml

Material:  Zi Ni. High-fired.

Seal: Li Min Juan

Handle: Li

Lid: N/A

Filter:  Single hole

Pouring time: 8s +/-

(F1 Shi Piao Teapot)

This teapot is part of a set of ten different-shaped teapots and clay made by Factory One. 

Considering it is a Factory One teapot, the level of craftsmanship is refined.

The lid fits tightly, but there is some slight dripping. Upon inspection, we did not find any of the usual tooling marks.

This teapot is brand-new. Before using it, I advise you to rinse it with boiling water. Then rinse it with room temperature water and smell it to check if it still has a clay smell. Repeat the procedure until the clay smell goes away. 

Then you can start making tea. It might take 1-2 weeks if you use it daily until it makes decent tea.

You could also follow the more complicated method of boiling the teapot. However, it takes more time. And the teapot might get broken or cracked during the procedure.

This clay usually goes well with darker teas, high roasted Oolongs, semi-aged Sheng Puer or old Puer, Shu Puer, etc. But it might do well with other teas. You could compare it against porcelain to decide what teas brew well.

When buying a Factory One pot, be aware that, generally speaking, these Teapots have no perfect craftsmanship compared to many modern teapots. 

You can expect some natural kiln cracks on the surface of the clay. However, it is not like a crack caused by the user that penetrates through the other side. You also might find a not perfectly aligned spout, knob and handle, tooling marks on the lid and mouth of the teapot, etc. You should also expect other natural signs from the kiln, i.e. black spots, which are iron oxide that melted during the firing. Inside and outside the teapot, you may also find some mica chips that look like metal spots. Silvery in appearance.

Regarding the lid craftsmanship, rarely can you find a perfect lid fit. Usually, the lid is a bit loose with slight dripping.

Remember that these were mass-production products. Therefore, the craftsmanship details mentioned above are perfectly normal. 

If you want perfect or nearly perfect craftmanship, choose modern teapots instead.