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Teapot Style: Fu Yuan
- Material: Aged Raw Ore Zini (Lao Zi Ni)
- Vintage/Year: 2025 (Lunar Year of the Wood Snake)
- Artisan: Liu Juan
- Origin: Yixing, Jiangsu Province, China
- Capacity: 150 ml
The "Fu Yuan"
The name "Fu Yuan" (福圆) carries a profound meaning in Eastern culture. "Fu" (福) represents blessings and good fortune, while "Yuan" (圆) symbolizes roundness, harmony, and the completion of a life well-lived. This teapot is designed as a physical manifestation of these wishes—a perfect, harmonious vessel for your daily tea ritual.
About the Artist
Wu Zhijian is a recognized master in the Yixing Zisha community, known for his "Solid, Precise, and Spirit-filled" style. His works are celebrated for their structural balance and their ability to breathe life into traditional shapes. Owning a piece by Wu Zhijian is not just acquiring a tea tool, but investing in a piece of living heritage.
Exquisite Aged Clay: This piece is handcrafted from Aged Raw Ore Zini (Lao Zi Ni). Having been weathered and aged naturally, this clay offers superior breathability and a warm, mellow texture. It is highly responsive to "seasoning" (nourishing the pot), developing a lustrous, mirror-like patina over time that reflects the care of its owner.
Tea Pairing for Zini
The fundamental principle of pairing lies in how the clay interacts with the tea's characteristics:
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Heat Management: Zini excels at maintaining high, steady temperatures, which is crucial for extracting the deep, complex flavors of fermented or roasted teas.
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Flavor Refinement: Its moderate porosity allows the clay to "breathe," subtly absorbing harsh or astringent notes while smoothing out the overall texture of the tea soup.
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Aromatic Balance: While denser clays like Zhuni are used to highlight high floral notes, Zini is favored for its ability to ground a tea, emphasizing its body, sweetness, and earthy mineral depth.
Whether you are brewing a robust Ripe Pu-erh, a smoky Black Tea, or a complex Wuyi Rock Tea, a well-paired Zini teapot will "season" over time, developing a unique luster while consistently improving the quality of every cup.
