“Nanman Zixiu” Teapot, 125 ml

The name can be translated as “teapot of the southern barbarians,” hinting at its side-handle shape. The teapot is crafted from purple Yixing clay and fired using the traditional Hei Tao technique, where the piece is placed in a carbon-rich environment (with ash, straw, or charcoal) with restricted oxygen. The iron compounds in the clay react, giving the surface a deep black or dark gray color. Such pieces are known as “black pottery.” This technique dates back to the Neolithic Longshan culture (c. 3000–1900 BCE), where black pottery was prized as elite tableware, while today it embodies the beauty of simplicity. The master also demonstrates an unpretentious approach to the piece by not even leaving a seal, capturing the true essence of the wabi-sabi aesthetic.