This is a complete tea set made from Black Sand clay from Yingjing, Sichuan. This coal-fired ceramic tradition dates back more than two millenia. The vessel is glazed with wood ash glaze made from pine needles and wood.
This style of vessel is called a Shǒu Zhuā Hú 手抓壶 meaning "hand-grabbed pot." It is similar to the Japanese Houhin. A small, shallow series of ridges at the spout acts as a simple strainer. It is 125 milieters in capacity and holds two nested cups that are 40 and 20 milileters respectively.
This rare clay has excellent heat retention properties. This vessel is a favorite of ours for steeping shu pu'er, heicha, and other dark teas.