This attractive looking, and attractively-priced, Yuan Zhu teapot is part of our new series of tea wares made from Laoyan clay, meaning old rock clay. This rustic clay is produced from coarser grit crushed stone material that produces nicely textured, more porous stoneware items. Very often, different coloured grit are mixed together to give it a distinctive rustic look that is very attractive if left unglazed, like it is the case with our whole Laotian range. The material’s higher porosity makes it a perfect memory pot to heighten your tea drinking experience with time. It works particularly well with darker teas, especially higher fermented, baked or fired ones like Taiwan's famous Dong Ding Oolong Tea. This instrument is first molded for consistency in shape and then each teapot body and lid is placed on a potter's wheel to engrave a circular pattern. All elements are then hand-assembled to the main body before firing. The result is a teapot of high precision with very good tolerances in the surfacing and fit of the lid and the alignment of the spout and handle. Since it is first molded into shape the unfinished inside surface is smoother and features a multi-hole ball shaped filter. What we particularly like is the generous spout opening that will empty its full contents in slightly less than 7 seconds. This ranks this pot as a perfect fast pouring pot, like it is preferred here in Taiwan.