Fish Becoming Dragon 鱼化龙 - Yixing Teapot, Jiangponi Clay
The Clay
The Yixing clay has been known to be the best material for steeping tea for at least one thousand years, and what we use today is the perfected result of a centuries-old artisan tradition.
The central characteristic of a Yixing teapot is its porosity, that frees the tea fragrance and allows a unique seasoning of the pot.
Every time we steep the tea in it, our pot absorbs the tea oils and color, gaining a natural coating that enriches the essential taste of the tea. For this reason it is recommended to steep only one kind of tea in your Yixing pot, rinsing it with pure water, without any soap, and air-drying it.
Usage
Before you first use your Yixing pot we advise you to follow an easy and effective procedure, that will ensure the best quality brewing for the years to come:
1- steep few grams of the tea you intend to use with your Yixing teapot in a normal kitchen pot full of water;
2- boil the water for about half of an hour, brewing a very strong tea;
3- remove the tea leaves, leaving a clear brew;
4- wrap your Yixing in a rug or cloth, taking care to wrap its lid in a different piece of cloth. We will boil it in the same pot we have prepared, so we need to ensure the best protection for our Yixing teapot;
5- submerge the Yixing teapot in the strong tea for another half hour;
6- let it cool down naturally, then rinse with fresh water.
Shipping
Orders to Europe & Americas: Shipped from European Union, Italy — delivered in 1–5 days (EU) or 5–12 days (non-EU).
Orders to Asia, Africa & Oceania: For the best service, please order from our dedicated website: www.easternleaves.asia
Your order will be shipped directly from our warehouse in Yunnan, China.
For European countries there is no custom-clearance procedure; for all the other shipments we accompany the package with all the necessary papers to ensure the fastest process possible.
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Europe
North America
Asia and Oceania
Check our new dedicated website: www.easternleaves.asia
Other countries
Important Note on Shipping to the USA
To ensure your shopping experience is as smooth and transparent as possible, we would like to inform you that, as this is an international shipment, U.S. customs authorities may apply import taxes or duties upon arrival of your package in the country.
Our store does not include these potential fees in the product price or checkout shipping costs, as they are charges applied directly by the U.S. government and vary based on your specific state and the order value.
To help you plan accordingly, we recommend checking with your local customs office for an estimate of any additional charges. We're here to help and can provide any information you need about the contents of your order.
Should you incur any import duties, we would be happy to include an additional 10% in product value with your next order as a courtesy and a thank-you for your understanding.
Processing & Shipping Schedule
We ship orders every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. If you have a specific request, simply add a note during checkout and we'll do our best to accommodate you.
Shipping Carriers & Pickup Options
Orders to Italy: shipped via BRT. You can choose a BRT pickup point.
Orders to Europe & USA: shipped via DHL Express or UPS. You can select a UPS Access Point (Europe) or a DHL Service Point (USA).
Orders to Asia: shipped via EMS. For more details, see www.easternleaves.asia.
Eastern Leaves’s Guarantee
Your happiness is our priority. If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, we will happily honor a return or exchange.
Every item is expertly packaged to ensure it arrives safely and beautifully. In the rare event that an item is damaged during shipping, please contact us immediately at info@easternleaves.com and we will replace it free of charge.
Our Yixing teapots come from the studio of Yuan Weixin 袁伟新 and his wife Lian Meiping 连美平, great-granddaughter of Lu Yaochen, one of the rare 国家级大师, the National Level of Master.
From him they have inherited a priceless stock of the best clay, seasoned through the decades.
Their pieces are fully hand-made, carved and baked multiple times in different kilns, according to the clay and the final results.
About Lian Meiping 连美平
Growing up close to the famous mine n.04, Lian Meiping and her family have always been working with pottery. Her father was a miner and, in her childhood, she used to collect pieces of precious clay.
She grew up in the time of the Great Seven Masters of Yixing pottery and she became a discipline of the modern master Lü Yaochen, who is also her great-grandfather. He encouraged her to follow her artistic talent on meticulous engravings, after she perfected clay crafting art over days and nights of studying and practice.
Before turning thirty, she was already a recognized Yixing artist. Today she keeps her artistic approach, creating perfectly shaped teapots with intricate and artistic decorations inspired by nature.
About Yuan Weixin 袁伟新
Yuan Weixin has achieved the National Senior-Master 高级工艺美术师 (国家) level in Yixing pottery art, which can only be mastered through a lifetime of experience.
Born few meters from the historical Jinsha Temple 金沙寺 where the first Yixing master Gong Chun lived and learned the art, he studied calligraphy and began his early career as an engraver on Yixing clay pottery. After the encounter with Liang Meiping, he entered her great-grandfather studio to master the crafting of clay as well.
Today Yuan Weixin is a renown calligraphy master and teacher, besides being senior master in Yixing pottery. His approach to pottery is loyal to timeless classic shapes, with calligraphy engravings of poems and buddhist sutras.
New generations of Yixing pottery
Over the years, their studio has become a pivotal center for many artists and pottery students, ensuring continuity to the precious craftsmanship art of the past as codified by the Seven Great Masters.
Today, the studio hosts two other artisans: Yuan Feng and Peng Ming. Yuan Feng is both Yuan Weixin’s nephew and his long-standing student, having studied under him for more than ten years.
Other students, including Jiang Wenen 蒋文文 and Ding Ning 丁宁, have also worked in the studio regularly since their younger years.
A close relationship
We visit the studio every three months to choose the teapots, and to fulfil our eyes with their creation. Over more than a decade, we're creating a sincere friendship that is growing since 2011.
Liang Meiping and Yuan Weixin are among the warmest people we have ever met, and living in their studio for few days always restore our mind. They are happy to open their studio also to the visitor joining our tea tours, sharing their world and welcoming them as students for one day.
Depending on time and availability, they can customise your teapot choosing your preferred clay, shape, and carving: write us for requests and further information.
certificate of guarantee
Each teapot is shipped with a certificate of guarantee signed by the artist.
