Shipiao

Stoneware・5 Day Wood-fired

Taiwanese artist Liao Guo Hua’s mastery of his craft yields pots rich with personality. Smooth, clean throw lines draw his pots up or out, signifying stateliness or gravity, respectively, and each meticulous tilt of handle or spout adds to the individual narrative of the piece.

This pot echos the traditional form of Yixing shipiao-shaped teapots, a teapot that tests the mastery of zisha craftsmanship. (You may recognize the classic feet from our contemporary interpretation of shipiao zisha, here.) In this iteration, Liao Guo Hua has interpreted the form on the potter’s wheel, pulling in the mouth of the pot as he threw to create a pyramid-like body. The handle is an inversion of this shape, creating repeating triangles across the pot. The surface shows signs of heavy ash fall from the wood kiln dusting the upper portions of the pot while the bottom, covered in a thin coat of flashing slip, is warmly reflective, like an ember glowing beneath a coal. Shipiao was wood-fired for five days.

Usage and care: Unglazed wood-fired pieces will season very slowly over time, though limited porosity allows for use of different tea types. The exterior of the teapot will deepen in color and develop a rich luster with use. Hand-wash only, without soap or detergent.

Approximate dimensions: 68mm tall, 85mm diameter, 175ml・Artist: 廖國華