Commissioned work for Mr E. Engel: “Qu Hu 曲壶” made with Ming Guo Lü Ni 明国绿泥 (comprising our Cao Family’s 100% Pure & Rarified Ben Shan Lü Ni), crafted by Master Wang Dong Ping 王冬萍 , Plum Blossoms engraving by Shi Tao 石陶。Newly designed/crafted 4 Cups.
Commissioned work for Mr E. Engel: ZiSha work “Qu Hu 曲壶” made with Ming Guo Lü Ni (comprising our Cao Family's 100% Pure Ben Shan Lü Ni) 明国绿泥, crafted by Master Wang Dong Ping 王冬萍, and Plum Blossoms engraving by Shi Tao 石陶。
- bespoke (total of $4870+$1600=$6470) commissioned work authorised by our esteemed patron, Mr Eric Engel.
Master Artist Wang Dong Ping is our aunt Senior Master Cao Lan Fang's friend, who is specially invited to perform this Qu Hu, as she is most adept at this and to be trusted on this difficult ZiSha shape.
Ensuring the Top Handle joins up with the main body, without any visually and TEXTURAL apparent joint clues.
Ensuring the Top Handle, even with a different shrinkage degree from the main body body during firing --> undergoes firing of three rounds without any cracking at the front and rear joint aspects, is a monumental occasion of joy.
Master Wang had to make this pot four times, because the first three could not succeed. The first and third round suffered the cracks at the joint aspects, the second round came out with the handle slightly collapsed and sunk thereby damaging the overall aesthetic beauty which we need to achieve with the swooping curve of this famous Qu Hu.
Thank you Mr E. Engel for entrusting us and Master Wang with this work.
As an icing on the cake, Mr E. Engel requested us to enlist Master Zhu Bing Hao "Shi Tao" 朱炳浩石陶 a.k.a. YiXing's "Mei Wang" King of Plum Blossoms 宜兴梅王, in engraving the Plum Blossoms on this beguiling and exquisite work.
Master Wang performed the additional four cups for Mr E. Engel as well to round up the whole performance.
The Cups match the POT aesthically and beautifully! 1. The flattish stance and the curved silhouette of the base, matches exactly that of the pot. 2. The rim is slightly flared put for ease and ergonomics of putting our lips to the rim during drinking. 3. The shoulder sculpted line introduced in between the top rim, and the base curve, acts to be an insulator of heat during the handling of the cup with the hot tea water during the tea session.
The Pot and the Cups looks absolutely artistically wholesome and matching, sleek, sculpted shoulders, a flattish stance.
Video Call between you Mr E. Engel and Master Wang will be arranged after his receipt of the pot. Paper Certificates by both Wang Dong Ping and Shi Tao provided for this once in a lifetime bespoke work. A Qu Hu of Ming Guo Lü Ni crafted from our Cao Family's 100% Pure and rarified Ben Shan Lü Ni, graced by Master Shi Tao's Plum Blossoms engraving before he goes into retirement very soon.
Customer Reviews
The team at RealZisha (Ian & Yi-Lei), Master Wang Dong Ping, and I had a video call recently, and they provided excellent interpretation and facilitation between us as we discussed this wonderful work and I asked questions about using and caring for it. We spent an hour discussing not only these points, but also how the demand for handmade ZiSha wares far outpaces the supply, and has led to the unfortunate prevalence of “Dai Gong” -
ZiSha studios fraudulently passing off less-experienced artists’ works as those of their highest-profile artists, some even going as far as just relegating these master artisans to taking photos with pots made by others so they can mark them up significantly. This video call provided extra assurance and confidence that this Qu Hu masterpiece is indeed a genuine work by these two eminently talented artisans.
Not that there could be any doubt of this tea set’s quality and craftsmanship. As others who commissioned works here have said, the photos truly do not does not do this pot and cups justice. Holding them in your hand, you can feel the consistency and balance of weight that leads to ease of use along with the ergonomic shape, which is achieved while not sacrificing any of its beauty.
I plan on featuring this prominently in life’s special occasions for years to come in addition to everyday use, and look forward to cultivating it with many tea sessions.
Commissioning process & customer service:
I commissioned this teapot back in August 2023. Ian and the rest of the team at Real ZiSha were quick to respond to my inquiries, and wanted to make sure they understood exactly what style and engravings I wanted. They were clear in communicating what they thought I was asking for, which helped provide confidence that my vision for the teapot was understood.
The teapot took many months longer than I had originally thought it might, and there were several attempts in the kiln that deformed or broke before making a successful one. I understood that this is a one of a kind piece, not something mass produced, and that this sort of thing can happen with firing ceramics. As an apology for the delay and failed attempts, they included the cups in the tea set, which I much appreciated. After a minor ordeal of getting the teapot through customs, it arrived in July of 2024.
Tea set:
The craftsmanship is evident in every aspect of this teapot: not just the way it looks, but the way it feels in your hands and the way it pours. It feels lighter than one would expect, and the clay feels smooth yet faintly textured in the hands. The engravings have a nice texture, too, having been etched in relief to the teapot. The pour is steady and smooth, with no dribbling. The clay imparts a silky texture to teas and dampens some of their astringency, without dampening the fragrance. For this reason, I’ve dedicated this teapot to Song Zhong oolong tea, and drinking it from this tea set feels deeply enriching.
Commissioning process & customer service:
I commissioned this teapot back in August 2023. Ian and the rest of the team at Real ZiSha were quick to respond to my inquiries, and wanted to make sure they understood exactly what style and engravings I wanted. They were clear in communicating what they thought I was asking for, which helped provide confidence that my vision for the teapot was understood.
The teapot took many months longer than I had originally thought it might, and there were several attempts in the kiln that deformed or broke before making a successful one. I understood that this is a one of a kind piece, not something mass produced, and that this sort of thing can happen with firing ceramics. As an apology for the delay and failed attempts, they included the cups in the tea set, which I much appreciated. After a minor ordeal of getting the teapot through customs, it arrived in July of 2024.
Tea set:
The craftsmanship is evident in every aspect of this teapot: not just the way it looks, but the way it feels in your hands and the way it pours. It feels lighter than one would expect, and the clay feels smooth yet faintly textured in the hands. The engravings have a nice texture, too, having been etched in relief to the teapot. The pour is steady and smooth, with no dribbling. The clay imparts a silky texture to teas and dampens some of their astringency, without dampening the fragrance. For this reason, I’ve dedicated this teapot to Song Zhong oolong tea, and drinking it from this tea set feels deeply enriching.
Commissioning process & customer service:
I commissioned this teapot back in August 2023. Ian and the rest of the team at Real ZiSha were quick to respond to my inquiries, and wanted to make sure they understood exactly what style and engravings I wanted. They were clear in communicating what they thought I was asking for, which helped provide confidence that my vision for the teapot was understood.
The teapot took many months longer than I had originally thought it might, and there were several attempts in the kiln that deformed or broke before making a successful one. I understood that this is a one of a kind piece, not something mass produced, and that this sort of thing can happen with firing ceramics. As an apology for the delay and failed attempts, they included the cups in the tea set, which I much appreciated. After a minor ordeal of getting the teapot through customs, it arrived in July of 2024.
Tea set:
The craftsmanship is evident in every aspect of this teapot: not just the way it looks, but the way it feels in your hands and the way it pours. It feels lighter than one would expect, and the clay feels smooth yet faintly textured in the hands. The engravings have a nice texture, too, having been etched in relief to the teapot. The pour is steady and smooth, with no dribbling. The clay imparts a silky texture to teas and dampens some of their astringency, without dampening the fragrance. For this reason, I’ve dedicated this teapot to Song Zhong oolong tea, and drinking it from this tea set feels deeply enriching.
Commissioning process & customer service:
I commissioned this teapot back in August 2023. Ian and the rest of the team at Real ZiSha were quick to respond to my inquiries, and wanted to make sure they understood exactly what style and engravings I wanted. They were clear in communicating what they thought I was asking for, which helped provide confidence that my vision for the teapot was understood.
The teapot took many months longer than I had originally thought it might, and there were several attempts in the kiln that deformed or broke before making a successful one. I understood that this is a one of a kind piece, not something mass produced, and that this sort of thing can happen with firing ceramics. As an apology for the delay and failed attempts, they included the cups in the tea set, which I much appreciated. After a minor ordeal of getting the teapot through customs, it arrived in July of 2024.
Tea set:
The craftsmanship is evident in every aspect of this teapot: not just the way it looks, but the way it feels in your hands and the way it pours. It feels lighter than one would expect, and the clay feels smooth yet faintly textured in the hands. The engravings have a nice texture, too, having been etched in relief to the teapot. The pour is steady and smooth, with no dribbling. The clay imparts a silky texture to teas and dampens some of their astringency, without dampening the fragrance. For this reason, I’ve dedicated this teapot to Song Zhong oolong tea, and drinking it from this tea set feels deeply enriching.
Customer Reviews
The team at RealZisha (Ian & Yi-Lei), Master Wang Dong Ping, and I had a video call recently, and they provided excellent interpretation and facilitation between us as we discussed this wonderful work and I asked questions about using and caring for it. We spent an hour discussing not only these points, but also how the demand for handmade ZiSha wares far outpaces the supply, and has led to the unfortunate prevalence of “Dai Gong” -
ZiSha studios fraudulently passing off less-experienced artists’ works as those of their highest-profile artists, some even going as far as just relegating these master artisans to taking photos with pots made by others so they can mark them up significantly. This video call provided extra assurance and confidence that this Qu Hu masterpiece is indeed a genuine work by these two eminently talented artisans.
Not that there could be any doubt of this tea set’s quality and craftsmanship. As others who commissioned works here have said, the photos truly do not does not do this pot and cups justice. Holding them in your hand, you can feel the consistency and balance of weight that leads to ease of use along with the ergonomic shape, which is achieved while not sacrificing any of its beauty.
I plan on featuring this prominently in life’s special occasions for years to come in addition to everyday use, and look forward to cultivating it with many tea sessions.
Commissioning process & customer service:
I commissioned this teapot back in August 2023. Ian and the rest of the team at Real ZiSha were quick to respond to my inquiries, and wanted to make sure they understood exactly what style and engravings I wanted. They were clear in communicating what they thought I was asking for, which helped provide confidence that my vision for the teapot was understood.
The teapot took many months longer than I had originally thought it might, and there were several attempts in the kiln that deformed or broke before making a successful one. I understood that this is a one of a kind piece, not something mass produced, and that this sort of thing can happen with firing ceramics. As an apology for the delay and failed attempts, they included the cups in the tea set, which I much appreciated. After a minor ordeal of getting the teapot through customs, it arrived in July of 2024.
Tea set:
The craftsmanship is evident in every aspect of this teapot: not just the way it looks, but the way it feels in your hands and the way it pours. It feels lighter than one would expect, and the clay feels smooth yet faintly textured in the hands. The engravings have a nice texture, too, having been etched in relief to the teapot. The pour is steady and smooth, with no dribbling. The clay imparts a silky texture to teas and dampens some of their astringency, without dampening the fragrance. For this reason, I’ve dedicated this teapot to Song Zhong oolong tea, and drinking it from this tea set feels deeply enriching.
Commissioning process & customer service:
I commissioned this teapot back in August 2023. Ian and the rest of the team at Real ZiSha were quick to respond to my inquiries, and wanted to make sure they understood exactly what style and engravings I wanted. They were clear in communicating what they thought I was asking for, which helped provide confidence that my vision for the teapot was understood.
The teapot took many months longer than I had originally thought it might, and there were several attempts in the kiln that deformed or broke before making a successful one. I understood that this is a one of a kind piece, not something mass produced, and that this sort of thing can happen with firing ceramics. As an apology for the delay and failed attempts, they included the cups in the tea set, which I much appreciated. After a minor ordeal of getting the teapot through customs, it arrived in July of 2024.
Tea set:
The craftsmanship is evident in every aspect of this teapot: not just the way it looks, but the way it feels in your hands and the way it pours. It feels lighter than one would expect, and the clay feels smooth yet faintly textured in the hands. The engravings have a nice texture, too, having been etched in relief to the teapot. The pour is steady and smooth, with no dribbling. The clay imparts a silky texture to teas and dampens some of their astringency, without dampening the fragrance. For this reason, I’ve dedicated this teapot to Song Zhong oolong tea, and drinking it from this tea set feels deeply enriching.
Commissioning process & customer service:
I commissioned this teapot back in August 2023. Ian and the rest of the team at Real ZiSha were quick to respond to my inquiries, and wanted to make sure they understood exactly what style and engravings I wanted. They were clear in communicating what they thought I was asking for, which helped provide confidence that my vision for the teapot was understood.
The teapot took many months longer than I had originally thought it might, and there were several attempts in the kiln that deformed or broke before making a successful one. I understood that this is a one of a kind piece, not something mass produced, and that this sort of thing can happen with firing ceramics. As an apology for the delay and failed attempts, they included the cups in the tea set, which I much appreciated. After a minor ordeal of getting the teapot through customs, it arrived in July of 2024.
Tea set:
The craftsmanship is evident in every aspect of this teapot: not just the way it looks, but the way it feels in your hands and the way it pours. It feels lighter than one would expect, and the clay feels smooth yet faintly textured in the hands. The engravings have a nice texture, too, having been etched in relief to the teapot. The pour is steady and smooth, with no dribbling. The clay imparts a silky texture to teas and dampens some of their astringency, without dampening the fragrance. For this reason, I’ve dedicated this teapot to Song Zhong oolong tea, and drinking it from this tea set feels deeply enriching.
Commissioning process & customer service:
I commissioned this teapot back in August 2023. Ian and the rest of the team at Real ZiSha were quick to respond to my inquiries, and wanted to make sure they understood exactly what style and engravings I wanted. They were clear in communicating what they thought I was asking for, which helped provide confidence that my vision for the teapot was understood.
The teapot took many months longer than I had originally thought it might, and there were several attempts in the kiln that deformed or broke before making a successful one. I understood that this is a one of a kind piece, not something mass produced, and that this sort of thing can happen with firing ceramics. As an apology for the delay and failed attempts, they included the cups in the tea set, which I much appreciated. After a minor ordeal of getting the teapot through customs, it arrived in July of 2024.
Tea set:
The craftsmanship is evident in every aspect of this teapot: not just the way it looks, but the way it feels in your hands and the way it pours. It feels lighter than one would expect, and the clay feels smooth yet faintly textured in the hands. The engravings have a nice texture, too, having been etched in relief to the teapot. The pour is steady and smooth, with no dribbling. The clay imparts a silky texture to teas and dampens some of their astringency, without dampening the fragrance. For this reason, I’ve dedicated this teapot to Song Zhong oolong tea, and drinking it from this tea set feels deeply enriching.
