An exquisitely executed teapot from artist Pan Yi, resplendent with the maturity and precision of a master potter’s hand. Meant to evoke the curved petals of a flowering begonia, it’s an incredibly complex piece, as unlike round shapes it cannot be balanced on a small hand-turned wheel, but instead must be weighed for balance again and again by the artist’s own hand. Its undulating, petaled profile cuts this pot into four distinct lobes, mirrored by the rippled lid and embellished finial. The spout curves gently from the narrow end of the piece, echoed again in the small flourish detailed atop the handle.

Made from slabs and coils of semi-porous old zini clay, the artist works each 2D component in the round with wooden paddles and miniature rolling pins, to exacting proportions. Each of Pan Yi’s teapots is entirely hand made and entirely unique, yet balanced to a near machine-like quality. The results can be felt in the tang and balance of the vessel, honed by the artist at every stage.

The artist sources her clay body from her family’s own safe kept slabs in Yixing, China, the epicenter of the celebrated, eponymous Yixing Pottery. The makeup of zisha remains permeable after firing, and with each steeping, the pot will begin to absorb trace amounts of the tea’s oils and character. This quality has given rise to a long tradition of dedicating one pot to just one tea type, for as the clay seasons over time, each pot takes on a singular terroir of its own.

This teapot features a built-in clay strainer for easy, dripless pouring.

Usage and care: Thoroughly rinse any particles of sand from the interior before use. Dedicate one tea type per pot. Eventually, a tea pot will be seasoned with the particular character of a tea. Hand-wash only without soap or detergent.