What is Xi Shi 西施 – Yixing Teapot?
Xi Shi (西施) is one of the famous types of Yixing clay teapots. Named after one of the renowned Four Beauties of ancient China, Xi Shi, this type of teapot is admired for its elegantly simple and traditional round shape, which symbolizes beauty in Chinese culture.
Xi Shi pots originated in the Ming Dynasty and were created by the Yixing pottery master Xu Youquan. Inspired by Xi Shi, one of the ancient Four Beauties of China, the pot features a body shape reminiscent of a beauty’s curves and is hailed as a treasure among Yixing teapots. The body of the Xi Shi pot is full and round, with the spout and handle resembling the hair bun and slender waist of a beauty.
The pot has a graceful and elegant design that captivates people. The Xi Shi pot pours smoothly, feels comfortable to hold, and when used for brewing tea, the aroma is rich and the taste mellow, making it an excellent choice for tea tasting.
How to choose the best Xi Shi (西施)- Yixing Teapot?
Proportion of Teapot Body
The center of gravity of the teapot should be at the halfway point for the best proportion; this makes the teapot look more rounded. As shown in the picture:
The teapot above has a well-placed center of gravity, making the body look attractive; the teapot below has a center of gravity that is too low, at one third of the way down, causing it to lack a rounded feel.
Spout
The spout should have a smooth curvature, and be thick and short, making the Shi Piao teapot more elegant and ensuring a smooth water flow.
Full Handmade or semi-handmade
We can see obvious horizontal spiral patterns, ring by ring traces of hand-pulling. These marks are different from the very fine traces found in semi-handmade craftsmanship. The hand-pulled patterns show thicker circular marks, whereas semi-handmade shows distinct, fine lines.
In many hand-pulled teapot inner walls, to conceal the hand-pulling marks, a technique of pushing the walls evenly is used.
However, on close observation, the spiral patterns can still be faintly seen. The aesthetic appeal and glossiness of hand-pulled teapots are other significant characteristics. They have a good glossiness, similar to a nurtured effect, but also a noticeably “thief’s shine.” This bright effect is commonly referred to as “monk’s head” in the industry. This gloss is not naturally formed but is a unique luster of hand-pulled teapots, bearing marks of deliberate crafting.
Clay of Teapot
The best clay materials for a Shi Piao teapot are Zhu clay and Xiao Hong clay, which have a reddish hue and are delicately vibrant. However, Zhu clay has a high shrinkage rate, resulting in a lower yield of finished teapots, so it is not commonly used.
Price of Xi Shi 西施 – Yixing Teapot
If you want a full handmade Xi Shi teapot, the price would be up to 1000RMB, if the price is lower than 1000RMB, that would be semi-handmade teapot.
