This teapot carries the full-bodied roundness of Chaozhou form — simple, balanced, and quietly powerful. The smooth belly rises into a domed lid topped with a soft knop, echoing the continuity of earth and sky. Its curves are not ornamented, but alive with proportion: the handle, spout, and lid aligned in harmony.
Made from hongni (红泥, red clay) of Phoenix Mountain, the pot is thin-walled and wheel-thrown, allowing heat to dissipate quickly and preserving the high aromatic profile of delicate teas such as Phoenix Dancong oolong. The clay, rich with the same minerals as the local tea-growing soil, has long been considered a natural partner to Chaozhou teas, softening and rounding liquor while keeping its brightness intact.
About the Artist
This piece is the work of Shanghao Zhang (章尚好), a respected Chaozhou potter and inheritor of local teapot-making traditions. With decades of practice, he specializes in the wheel-thrown gongfu teapot, made with precision and balance. His works uphold the spirit of Chaozhou tea culture: quiet, functional, and unpretentious, always made to serve tea before form. Now well into his seventies, Zhang Shangcai continues to shape teapots by hand with the same dedication and spirit that has guided his lifelong craft.
