A fully handmade Yixing teapot in the classical Ziye Shipiao form, shaped from Huanglongshan Zini clay in an intimate 115 ml size for Gongfu tea.

Small in Scale, Precise in Form

The smaller a Shipiao becomes, the more every line begins to matter.

The Ziye Shipiao Yixing Teapot is defined by a low, architectural silhouette—a gently tapering body balanced between its direct spout and distinctive handle.

This petite interpretation is fully handmade from Huanglongshan Zini (黄龙山紫泥) clay and holds approximately 115 ml / 3.9 fl oz.

Small enough for an intimate solo session.

Large enough to share between two petite cups.

And restrained enough that clay, proportion and craftsmanship remain the focus.

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At a Glance

• Fully handmade Yixing Zisha teapot
• Traditional Ziye Shipiao / 子冶石瓢 form
• Huanglongshan Zini / 黄龙山紫泥 clay
• Approx. 115 ml / 3.9 fl oz
• Approx. 8 × 10 × 5.8 cm / 3.1 × 3.9 × 2.3 in
• Petite xiaopin proportions
• Low, architectural silhouette
• Designed for Gongfu tea
• Particularly suited to solo and intimate tea sessions

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The Ziye Shipiao Form · 子冶石瓢

Ziye Shipiao — 子冶石瓢 belongs to one of the most recognizable families of Yixing teapot forms.

Its visual language is remarkably restrained.

The body sits low.

Its walls rise inward.

The lid remains compact.

The spout extends with purpose.

The handle creates counterbalance from the opposite side.

Individually, none of these elements needs to be dramatic.

The beauty comes from making them belong together.

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The Smaller the Pot, the More Proportion Matters

At approximately 115 ml, this is a particularly petite expression of Shipiao.

That smaller scale concentrates the form.

There is less physical space between one design decision and the next. The relationship between body, lid, spout and handle becomes immediately visible.

This is why we recommend looking at a Shipiao from the side before examining anything else.

Ignore decoration.

Ignore even the clay for a moment.

Look only at the silhouette.

A successful Shipiao begins there.

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Huanglongshan Zini · 黄龙山紫泥

This teapot is described as being made from Huanglongshan Zini (黄龙山紫泥).

Zini — 紫泥 — belongs to the traditional vocabulary of Yixing Zisha clay.

Rather than reducing the material simply to “purple clay,” we retain its traditional name and the supplied Huanglongshan provenance description.

The understated visual character of Zini is particularly appropriate for Shipiao.

There is no need for the clay to compete with the form.

Its role is quieter.

Material supporting proportion.

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Fully Handmade

This piece is described by the maker as fully handmade — 全手工制作.

Within the vocabulary of Yixing pottery, that distinction is more meaningful than simply saying an object is handcrafted.

For a teapot this restrained, the construction deserves to be examined closely.

Look at the body.

The lid.

The transition into the spout.

The attachment of the handle.

The base.

Rather than hiding these details behind broad claims about “master craftsmanship,” we prefer to let the actual piece provide the evidence.

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115 ml: Made for Intimate Gongfu Tea

Capacity: approximately 115 ml / 3.9 fl oz

This is deliberately a small teapot.

For One

115 ml is particularly natural for solo Gongfu tea and repeated infusions.

For Two

With sufficiently small cups, each infusion can also be divided between two tea drinkers.

For Exploring a Tea

The compact volume makes it easier to prepare many smaller rounds and observe how the same leaves change over time.

For someone accustomed to large Western teapots, 115 ml may initially appear tiny.

Within Gongfu tea, that intimacy is the point.

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115 ml vs. 125 ml Ziye Shipiao

If you are choosing between our two Zini Ziye Shipiao sizes, the numerical difference may appear small.

In use, however, the character is slightly different.

115 ml
More intimate and particularly suited to solo tea.

125 ml
A touch more generous while remaining distinctly petite.

But capacity is not the only difference.

This 115 ml version is described as fully handmade and made from Huanglongshan Zini, while the 125 ml version should be considered according to its own stated material and construction specifications.

For collectors, those distinctions can matter as much as the additional 10 ml.

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A Teapot That Sits Low

The supplied dimensions are approximately:

8 × 10 × 5.8 cm
3.1 × 3.9 × 2.3 in

The low height reinforces the character of Shipiao.

Rather than rising dramatically upward, the teapot spreads visually across the tea table.

Spout.

Body.

Handle.

A strong horizontal composition held close to the surface.

Pair it with small cups and a restrained fairness pitcher and the entire tea setting can remain similarly low and quiet.

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Made for Gongfu Tea

Warm the pot.

Add the leaves.

Pour.

Decant completely.

Taste.

Then return.

At 115 ml, each infusion is small enough that another is never far away.

The leaves gradually open.

Aroma changes.

Texture develops.

Eventually, attention moves away from the pot itself and toward what is happening inside it.

That is exactly where a functional tea object should lead.

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Details

Product: Yixing Zisha Teapot
Form: Ziye Shipiao / 子冶石瓢
Clay: Huanglongshan Zini / 黄龙山紫泥
Origin: Yixing, China
Craft: Fully Handmade / 全手工制作

Capacity

Approx. 115 ml / 3.9 fl oz

Dimensions

Approx. 8 × 10 × 5.8 cm
Approx. 3.1 × 3.9 × 2.3 in

Recommended For

Gongfu tea
Solo tea sessions
Tea for two
Repeated infusions
Small-volume brewing
Yixing teapot collecting

As a fully handmade teapot, subtle variations between individual pieces may naturally occur.

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Living With Yixing Clay

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

After each session, remove the leaves and rinse the interior.

Allow the teapot to dry thoroughly with the lid removed before storing.

Avoid strongly scented detergents unless specifically recommended by the maker.

Protect the teapot from impacts and sudden temperature changes.

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A Note on Handmade Character

For a fully handmade Yixing teapot, we recommend looking beyond the general silhouette and examining the actual details of the piece:

Body · Lid · Spout · Handle · Base · Clay Surface

Small variations associated with manual construction may naturally occur.

These differences are part of why close-up photography is particularly important for a Yixing listing.

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Made for Quiet Tea

There is very little to hide behind in Shipiao.

No elaborate decoration is necessary.

No dramatic colour.

Only clay and proportion.

At 115 ml, those qualities become concentrated into a vessel small enough to sit naturally within the hand.

Then the leaves go in.

Water follows.

And the object begins to make sense.

Art of Quiet Living.

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Curator's Note

For predominantly solo Gongfu tea, 115 ml is an especially appealing scale.

What makes this particular version more interesting, however, is not simply its size.

The combination of Ziye Shipiao form, Huanglongshan Zini and fully handmade construction gives it a more specific identity within our Yixing selection.

If you appreciate Shipiao for its proportions rather than decoration, this is precisely the kind of pot that rewards closer inspection.