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.

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.

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.