Lucky Dragon Cloud Yixing Teapot

This is a picture of my favorite Yixing Tea pot! It is called "Lucky Dragon Cloud" and was made by Mr. Qian Xing Cu, craft master, in conjection with Ms. Jiang Liang Xian, associate craft master. They were honored with the copper prize at the China Arts Great Masters Exhibition in 2002 for this stunning YiXing teapot design. Qian Xing Cu is a member of the China Jiangsu Industrial Arts Association.

I absolutely love it. At 14 oz, it is larger than your average Yixing. It fills a mug nicely. WHile the picture does it no justice at all, you can still see that it is beautiful and it gets more attractive with use. The craftsmanship is really evident on this pot. It has incredible detail. Each hair on the dragon's head and tail is clearly defined. The ball on the top rotates. It has a good sound, feels nice, and pours great. One of the problems you can get with a teapot that is not made by hand is that the lids often don't have a perfect fit. This lid is perfect, as evidenced by the flow from the spout stopping immediately and completely upon depressing my finger over the hole in the top of the lid.

It was not cheap, but totally worth it. For those who are unfamiliar with Yixing, here is a quick explanation of why it is so special. A Yixing teapot is made from a special type of clay (Zisha, or purple sand clay) found in a certain region in China. It naturally has a beautiful color and high iron content. The iron causes the pot to keep the water temperature fairly stable, making it very suitable for tea. What makes this clay extra special, though, is its porous nature. The inside (and often the outside) is left unglazed before firing. This preserves the pores, creating a surface that can be "seasoned" like stone bake ware. For this reason, it is recommended that you only brew one type of tea in that pot, so that with each use, the tea becomes more flavorful and aromatic. Theoretically, a pot that has been in use for a decade or two will no longer require the use of tea leaves at all. At that point, the pot will make fine tea with just hot water. This is the pot that Chinese tea masters consider to be the ideal implement for brewing their tea. There are many handmade Yixing wares produced by skilled craftsmen using traditional methods and superior clay, but demand has also led to inferior clay being used to mass produce teapots out of molds. The later are often nice looking pieces, but are of significantly diminished quality. Only handmade Yixings will be really collectible investment pieces and will make the best tea.

This Yixing is dedicated to Dragonwell green tea. Sometimes you see this called Lung Ching or Long Jing, depending on who is translating the Chinese characters. It is a beautiful Jade color and tastes full and round. It can be a little grassy, like most green teas, but is not overbearingly so. It has a unique nuttiness as well. All in all, a very mellow cup. It also happens to be one of the most popular teas in China, ensuring that I will be able to get my hands on enough of it over the years at a reasonable price to dedicate my favorite Yixing pot to it. Traditionally a gift for emperors and dignitaries, this wonderful tea pairs nicely with the pot.