Wendan 100ml Yixing Zhuni Teapot

A petite Wendan teapot shaped from Zhaozhuang Zhuni clay in Yixing, made for intimate Gongfu tea sessions and smaller pours.

Small in Scale, Complete in Form

At just 100 ml / 3.4 fl oz, this is a teapot designed for tea at its most intimate.

The Wendan Yixing Teapot is shaped from Zhaozhuang Zhuni clay and follows the softly rounded proportions of the traditional Wendan form—a full body rising gently toward a restrained lid, balanced by a curved handle and spout.

Its small capacity makes it particularly suited to solo Gongfu tea sessions or concentrated brewing in smaller servings.

There is very little excess here.

Clay.

Tea.

Water.

And a vessel small enough to bring your attention back to all three.

At a Glance

• Yixing Zisha teapot
• Zhaozhuang Zhuni clay
• Traditional Wendan (文旦) form
• Handmade
• Petite 100 ml / 3.4 fl oz capacity
• Designed for Gongfu-style tea preparation
• Particularly suited to solo and small-volume tea sessions
• Compact xiaopin teapot format

Why This Piece

The appeal of this teapot begins with proportion.

A 100 ml pot changes the rhythm of tea.

There is less water in each infusion, smaller servings in the cup and a natural invitation to return to the pot again and again.

That rhythm belongs naturally to Gongfu tea.

The Wendan form complements the scale beautifully. Its rounded body gives the small teapot visual fullness, preventing it from feeling miniature or insubstantial.

Then there is the clay.

Zhuni belongs to the broader family of Yixing ceramic traditions and has long been associated with small teapots used in concentrated tea preparation.

Together, the small capacity, rounded Wendan form and Zhuni body create a teapot intended not for serving a crowd, but for paying closer attention to the tea itself.

The Wendan Form

Wendan — 文旦 is a traditional Chinese teapot form recognized by its softly swelling body and restrained, balanced silhouette.

Its beauty comes from proportion rather than ornament.

The body feels full without becoming heavy.

The lid sits quietly above it.

The spout and handle extend outward to balance the volume at the centre.

In a smaller teapot, these relationships become particularly important. A few millimetres can change whether the pot feels lively, heavy, delicate or unresolved.

The best view is not necessarily from one side.

Turn it slowly.

The relationship between body, handle, lid and spout is the design.

Zhaozhuang Zhuni

This teapot is described as being made from Zhaozhuang Zhuni (赵庄朱泥).

Zhuni literally refers to a red or vermilion clay within the Yixing clay tradition. Once fired, its warm coloration gives these small teapots a particularly distinctive presence.

Rather than translating Zhaozhuang Zhuni into a generic term such as “red clay,” we retain its Chinese material name here because the specific clay description is part of the identity of the piece.

For collectors and tea drinkers familiar with Yixing pottery, the clay is not simply a colour.

It is part of how the teapot is understood.

100 ml: Made for Smaller Sessions

Capacity: approximately 100 ml / 3.4 fl oz

This is deliberately a small teapot.

It is particularly well suited to:

Solo tea sessions
A natural scale for brewing repeatedly for one person.

Gongfu tea
Small infusions encourage multiple rounds and closer attention to how the tea changes.

Concentrated brewing
The compact vessel makes it easy to work with smaller volumes of water.

Quiet tea rituals
When the purpose is not serving many guests, but slowing down with the tea itself.

If you usually brew Western-style mugs of tea, 100 ml will feel very small.

That is intentional.

One Pot, One Person, Many Infusions

A small teapot creates its own pace.

Warm the pot.

Add the leaves.

Pour the water.

Wait.

Then empty the entire infusion into the cup or fairness pitcher.

The pot is small enough that another infusion never feels far away.

The second tastes different from the first.

The third opens further.

Perhaps the fourth becomes softer.

The teapot gradually disappears from your attention and the changing tea takes its place.

This is one of the quiet pleasures of Gongfu brewing:

not one large cup,

but a conversation conducted through many small ones.

Yixing and the Gongfu Tradition

Yixing teapots have been associated with Chinese tea preparation for centuries, with their development becoming particularly prominent during the Ming period.

Small red-clay teapots also became closely associated with Gongfu tea traditions in southeastern China. Historical examples preserved in museum collections demonstrate the longstanding relationship between compact Zhuni vessels and concentrated tea preparation.

This history is one reason the small scale of this Wendan feels so natural.

It belongs to a way of making tea in which the pot does not need to be large to have presence.

Made for Quiet Tea

This is not the teapot we would choose for a large table.

That is precisely its appeal.

Place it beside one cup.

Prepare a tea you know well.

Notice what changes between the first infusion and the fifth.

There is something unusually satisfying about a vessel whose capacity asks you to remain close to the process.

One person.

One small pot.

An afternoon measured in infusions.

Art of Quiet Living.

Details

Product: Yixing Zisha Teapot
Form: Wendan / 文旦
Clay: Zhaozhuang Zhuni / 赵庄朱泥
Origin: Yixing, China
Craft: Handmade
Capacity: Approximately 100 ml / 3.4 fl oz (9cm*6.5cm*6.5cm)

Recommended Use:
Gongfu tea
Solo tea sessions
Small-volume brewing
Repeated infusions

Living With Yixing Clay

Yixing teapots are traditionally appreciated as functional tea vessels rather than glazed decorative ceramics.

Before first use, rinse the teapot carefully with clean water.

For routine use, avoid strongly scented detergents unless specifically recommended by the maker, as residues may interfere with the tea experience.

After brewing, remove the leaves, rinse the pot and allow it to dry thoroughly with the lid removed before storing.

Treat the pot gently and avoid sudden impacts or extreme temperature shock.

A Note on Natural Clay

A handmade clay teapot should be approached differently from an industrially uniform vessel.

Small differences in surface, tone, finishing and hand-shaped details may occur.

These are part of the individual character of the piece rather than something we attempt to disguise.

For collectors, close-up photographs of the clay surface, lid fit, spout, handle and base are particularly important, and we recommend examining these details before choosing your teapot.

Designed to Be Gifted

A small Yixing teapot is a particularly thoughtful gift for someone who already understands the pleasure of tea.

It does not ask for much space.

It does not require ceremony.

Yet each time it is used, it creates a small ritual of its own.

For a tea drinker beginning to explore Gongfu brewing, it can become an introduction to smaller vessels and repeated infusions.

For someone already familiar with Yixing, the combination of Wendan form, Zhaozhuang Zhuni and 100 ml capacity gives the piece its own clear identity.

Curator's Note

Do not underestimate the 100 ml capacity.

For someone accustomed to Western teapots, it may initially appear unusually small.

For Gongfu tea, that intimacy is the point.

We would place this pot beside a single cup and allow the session to unfold slowly over repeated infusions.

The Wendan's rounded body gives such a small vessel enough visual presence to feel complete rather than miniature.

Complete the Ritual

Gongfu Tea Cups
Choose a smaller cup appropriate to repeated infusions.

Fairness Pitchers
Decant each infusion completely before serving.

Tea Trays
Create a dedicated surface for the tea ritual.

Yixing Teapots
Explore different clay, forms and capacities.