Mutton Fat Jade Porcelain Xishi Teapot 羊脂玉瓷西施茶壺

Le Tao

$120.00
(5 reviews) Write a Review
SKU:
T-PV-POT-101
Weight:
291.00 Grams
Volume:
150 mL
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Mutton Fat Jade Porcelain Xi Shi Teapot (羊脂玉瓷西施茶壺, Yáng Zhī Yù Cí Xī Shī Chá Hú, "Mutton Fat Jade Porcelain Xi Shi Teapot") - Mutton Fat Jade Porcelain is one of our most exciting ceramic discoveries of last year. It is a recent creation by potters in Dehua, Fujian, one of China's porcelain capitals (along with Jingdezhen). Dehua is famous for their carved porcelain statuary, where the emphasis is on the texture of the clay and the character of the naked clay body, as opposed to Jingdezhen which is known for the painting on the surface of their wares.This strikingly-white, raw (unglazed) porcelain has an ethereal luminous quality to it that is achieved through a very specific ratio of flux to kaolin in the clay blend. This ratio must fall within a very narrow window to create the combination of a soft, matte finish with radiant translucence that gives this clay its name. The subsurface scattering of light through this porcelain is reminiscent of snow, beeswax, or, apparently, mutton fat. It is an excellent insulator and despite being unglazed is vitrified enough to make any kind of tea without taking on its flavor. Unlike normal raw porcelain, it doesn't stain easily - simply washing it with hot water and wiping it clean after each use is enough to maintain its brilliant whiteness through months of daily use. It will eventually begin to take on a soft ivory patina which can be easily removed with baking soda. Despite being unornamented white porcelain - the most standard of teaware materials - these wares never fail to turn heads when they're brought out. 

This ~150 ml teapot is a Xishi pot, one of the most famous tea pot forms. Modeled after the breasts of the Imperial Concubine Xishi, one of classical China's four renowned beauties, the round shape of the pot extends beyond its Freudian appeal because the highly-efficient shape allows for full expansion of leaves and convection of water. This beautiful Xishi pot features an incredibly fine, expanded golf-ball style filter for a graceful, powerful pour that is nearly impossible to clog. The feeling of the pot with its soft matte texture is irresistible, especially when it's warm. We dare you not to rub your face on it. 

5 Reviews

  • 5
    The Platonic Idea of Porcelain

    Posted by Semein on May 18th 2024

    After waiting for a few months, I got my hands on this Mutton Fat Jade teapot. Unlike another, slightly larger, MFJ Xishi, this teapot has an air hole in the lid knob that I can use to stop the flow of tea. It does everything I need from porcelain by retaining water temperature and leaving no impact on flavor. It pours quickly and has tons of room, even enough for a Water Immortal tea brick to expand. The creamy, opaque, and glass-like porcelain is also quite attractive.

  • 4
    Solid piece

    Posted by REM on Jun 22nd 2022

    And I mean *quite* solid. This thing has substance to it. It feels nice and it is easy to clean. The downsides are (1) the lid doesn't sit as flush as I would have liked for something at this price point and (2) while the weight is reassuring, it also renders certain grips somewhat impractical.

  • 5
    MUTTON FAT JADE PORCELAIN XI SHI TEAPOT

    Posted by Landon Kemnitz on Jun 2nd 2022

    I truly believe I've purchased the perfect porcelain pot. The lid fit, pour, weight in the hand, inner ball filter, heat retention, and looks inside and out are the best out of any porcelain pot I've ever seen.

  • 4
    All purpose tea pot

    Posted by Nadir M. on Mar 25th 2021

    I have purchased many tea pot before and i’ve wanted one for each and every type of tea and i found it to be the perfect vessel for all types of tea, very well built and the porcelain is a great when it comes to heat retention. West china tea products and crew are helpful in so many ways and their products never ceases to impress, i would recommend this pot for everyone

  • 5
    My gaiwan is getting jealous:

    Posted by Terrance Harris on Nov 21st 2020

    This xishi hu teapot has the perfect pour. I have teapots that I paid 3 times the price that don't pour this well. The lid is wide enough to put any type of leaf in the pot. The filter is wonderful, it retains what is necessary but filters everything else. I do wish you had an 80ml pot because this is a bit large for a solo session but perfect for two or more. The density of the clay used opens up the leaves but doesn't scald the leaves. All in all a wonderful pot!!