Zini Shuiping Teapot

Name:  Zini Shuiping Teapot

Year: 1990s

Volume: 70 ml (to the brim)

Material: Zi ni

Seal: Zhong Guo Yi Xing

Filter: single hole (I added a high-quality Taiwanese stainless steel filter you can see in the picture).

Pouring time: 8s +/-

(Zini Shuiping Teapot)

I have been using this teapot for some time; the clay is of good quality and has developed a nice shine. When you pour boiling water into the pot, the sheen becomes even more noticeable. The pot is brand new in the lightbox photos, while the last picture (taken in daylight) shows the teapot after some seasoning.

The piece is medium to high-fired.

The lid is a bit loose, like many non-modern Shui Ping teapots. 

The pouring speed is 8 seconds with some minor dripping. 

I have been using this teapot with different teas, so you don’t need to pre-season it if you don’t want to.

I have tried it with semi-aged Sheng Puer tea and some Oolongs with good results.

However, I recommend experimenting with different teas to find the best match for your taste.

This teapot has no cracks or chips, only some tooling marks on the outside of the lid. You can check it in the pictures.

When buying old teapots please be aware that: 

Generally speaking, these teapots do not possess the same level of craftsmanship as 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 are silvery in appearance is frequent for these teapots. Another common trait is the presence of larger sand grains protruding on the surface of the clay, which push their way out during firing as the material contracts (an example of this can be seen in the fourth picture, on the teapot’s spout).

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.