Fully Handcrafted-Official’s Hat Teapot (官帽壶)

About Yixing Zisha Teapots

The Yixing Zisha teapot, with its history of over 500 years, is regarded as one of China’s most treasured tea vessels. The porous clay enhances the aroma of tea with each brew, creating a richer, more nuanced flavor over time.

Craft distinction:

• Fully Handcrafted (全手工) – Every detail shaped entirely by hand, each piece unique.

• Half Handcrafted (半手工) – The body is assisted by a mold, but shaping and details are completed by hand.

• Wheel-thrown (机车壶) – Made using machines, faster to produce but lacking the individuality of handwork.

Clay distinction:

• Natural Ore (天然矿) – Authentic Zisha clay mined from traditional deposits, safe and rare.

• Chemical Clay (化工矿) – Artificially mixed with chemical additives, harmful to health and lacking cultural value.

Our promise:
All of our teapots are crafted from authentic, natural Zisha ore from old deposits that are no longer allowed to be mined today — making them extremely rare and precious.

Each piece is created by Liu Mingzhu, Intangible Cultural Heritage inheritor and Yixing Zisha artist. All teapots bear her authentic base seal.

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Official’s Hat Teapot (官帽壶)

• Type: Fully Handcrafted

• Clay: Yixing Vermilion Clay (Zhu Ni)

• Capacity: 220ml

• Features: Elegant dome-shaped lid, inspired by ancient official hats.

 

（Liu Mingzhu makes teapots）

（Liu Mingzhu and Ding Renjian are both master teapot makers.）

 

（Huanglongshan Mine Ruins）

 

（The water in the mine has a beautiful color）

 

（Mine ruins）

 

Six Original Zisha Clays – Six Distinct Spirits

Zisha (Purple-Sand) clay is not a single “purple” material—it is a living world of diverse minerals, iron content, and firing temperatures.
The six original clays shown here come from rare, natural ore deposits that were collected and preserved before mining was prohibited.
Each piece of ore was selected, refined, aged, and crafted entirely by hand, preserving its natural geological texture and authentic color.

 

 

① Supreme Coexisting Ore — Jiangpo Ni

A true coexisting ore, Jiangpo Ni contains multiple mineral layers with varying iron contents.
When fired, it transforms from pale yellow and grayish purple to deep red-brown tones.
The teapot shown reveals this gradient—soft and muted at lower temperatures, rich and lustrous at higher heat.
Its complexity makes each piece one of a kind—a vivid proof that Zisha clay is never just one color.

 

 

 

② Supreme Benshan Lüni (Raw Ore and Biscuit Fired Clay)

The Benshan Lüni ore reveals light green and yellow layers in its raw form, turning into a warm, subtle gray sheen after the first biscuit firing.
Its texture is smooth and compact, offering superb breathability when made into teapots.
This mineral vein is now fully depleted—our collection consists of vintage ore, aged for over a decade before use.

 

 

 

③ Supreme Old Zhuni

Old Zhuni ore shows vivid orange-red and iron-red hues, with extremely high iron content.
Once fired, it matures into a gentle, deep vermilion tone—smooth and fine as jade.
Even a slight variation in firing temperature alters its color, making it a true test of a master’s skill.
This ore has long been exhausted; our supply comes from rare pre-ban deposits once used by old kilns in Yixing.

 

 

 

④ Supreme Huangjinduan

The color of Huangjinduan clay is soft and luminous, like morning light on the earth.
It comes from a rare ancient vein—fine-grained, low in iron, and extremely sensitive to temperature.
When perfectly fired, it turns golden or honey-brown with a gentle mineral shimmer.
Today, this clay has vanished from the open market; our material comes solely from pre-ban preserved ore.

 

 

 

⑤ Supreme Old Shihong

Old Shihong ore is dense and solid, with deep reddish-brown tones.
After firing, it takes on the warm, aged glow of cinnabar cliffs—ancient, steady, and quietly radiant.
This heavy red clay, rich in iron, has not been mined for many years and is now treasured by collectors.

 

 

 

⑥ Supreme Old Zini

Old Zini is the root mineral of all Zisha clays—dark, balanced, and noble in tone.
High in iron and naturally porous, it produces teapots that age beautifully with use.
It embodies the “true color of the clay,” the essence of Yixing craftsmanship.
With its ore deposits long depleted, every teapot made from this clay is now a rare and irreplaceable creation.

 

These clays are not man-made mixtures but true natural mineral formations, born deep within the earth.
Their colors arise purely from the mineral composition and firing temperature—without glaze, without pigment.
Each ore, each teapot, is a testament to time, fire, and the artistry of nature itself.