I believe that many tea lovers who like to drink tea with purple clay or collect purple clay teapots have higher requirements for purple clay teapot craftsmanship, clay materials, fun of brewing, and practicality as their appreciation ability continues to improve.
Today, the Zhaozhuang wrinkled red clay-lotus seed brought by Tongxinshe Teahouse can be said to meet the needs of most teapot lovers for a bottom-of-box teapot. A good teapot needs to meet all the conditions of clay, shape, craftsmanship, style, and function.
We all know that clay materials are the top priority of purple clay. As a good thing at the bottom of the box, this Pan pot is naturally good in the use of clay materials. It uses Zhaozhuang Zhuni, which is known as the two kinds of precious player-level Zhuni together with Xiaomeiyao clay. Unlike the general Zhuni produced from the tender mud layer on the surface and in small blocks, this Zhaozhuang Zhuni is produced under the yellow stone layer. It is a hard ore in large blocks and is very rare. Here we focus on the shrinkage rate. The shrinkage rate of ordinary Zhuni is 10%, while Zhaozhuang Zhuni reaches 25% or even 30%. It can be said that it has reached the limit of Zhuni. Looking at the body of the pot, you will find obvious large vertical stripes. This is the legendary "no wrinkles, no Zhuni". At the same time, the body of the pot has a strong sandy feel, which is very different from the general Zhuni. It is very oily. If you look closely at the body of the pot, there are many small black spots. This is caused by the iron rich in Zhuni ore precipitating on the surface of the pot at high temperature.
Today's lotus seed is made by Xu Linfeng, a famous Yixing Zhuni artist. He is a national-level craftsman and has a deep research on Zhuni. This lotus seed belongs to the customized teapot of Tongxinshe Teahouse with a capacity of 150cc and is made entirely by hand.
There is an old saying in Yixing: "Triangular stone scoop and four-legged stove, full for lotus seeds and flat for drums." The lotus seed pot came out in the Ming Dynasty. One said that its name is pictographic, and another said that it evolved from the lotus seed pot used to cook lotus seed porridge in the south in ancient times. The shape of the lotus seed vessel, one circle stacked on another, from small to large, again and again, has the beautiful meaning of "heart to heart".
Teacher Xu Linfeng's pot today is fully handmade, and it is shaped like a tycoon lotus seed pot. The wide mouth has drooping shoulders, the bulging belly falls straight down, and the curved lid echoes the plump body and integrates into one. The overall shape is well-proportioned and full, revealing a dignified and elegant aura. The body of this lotus seed pot is nearly round, with a thick lip along the edge of the pot lid, a semicircular bulge in the middle, a flat rim, a short neck under the mouth, a bulging shoulder and an arc belly, and a flat bottom. There is a spout on one side of the pot body, which is round and short in shape. It slants upward from the root of the spout and turns outward at the same height as the lip of the pot body. The handle on the other side grows from the shoulder and is round, connecting with the lower end of the abdomen. The tail has another outward-turned angle, just like a beautiful woman's arms with her hands on her waist, revealing a soft and beautiful state in the quaintness. The difficulty of the lotus seed pot lies in the overall tension and relaxation and the "tail" at the root of the pot handle, which Teacher Xu Linfeng did very well. The transition between the spout, handle, and lines is like flowing clouds and water, and the overall visual is symmetrical. The bottom of the pot handle has a drooping ear, which is handled more elegantly and agilely.
This lotus seed teapot is excellent in practicality. The pot belly is slightly larger and the proportions are even, which gives the tea leaves enough space to expand. It is also easy to add tea and clean. The water comes out directly and the water stops neatly. This 150ml full-hand lotus seed teapot is placed on the mat, which is a bright spot.