Dezhong Teapot

PRODUCT STORY

The Dezhong (德钟) was created by Shao Daheng in Yixing in the early nineteenth century — the same potter who gave us the Duoqiu. Where the Duoqiu is built from curves, the Dezhong is built from restraint: an upright body, a flat shoulder, a straight spout, a lid that sits flush. There is no decoration anywhere on it. Potters keep returning to this form precisely because there is nothing to hide behind — every line is visible, and a wall that is even slightly off shows immediately.

Made in Chaozhou in local zhuni clay, and fully hand-thrown on the wheel — no mould at any stage. The spout, handle, and lid are cut, shaped, and fitted by hand, and the lid is fitted to this pot alone. Zhuni shrinks heavily in the kiln; six or seven pots in ten come out usable.

120 ml, 130 g. This is the heaviest and tallest pot in the collection, and the one that behaves most like a pot you use every day rather than one you handle carefully. The upright body holds heat well, which suits ripe pu-erh and roasted oolong — teas that want a steady temperature across several steeps rather than a fast pour.

WHY FULLY HAND-THROWN MATTERS

Shaped from start to finish at the wheel by Cai Danjie, each pot demands sustained control of the clay, followed by careful cutting, fitting, and refinement. Nothing is mechanically repeated: the proportions, balance, lid fit, and pouring character belong to this individual pot. Small variations are not flaws, but the visible record of the maker’s hand.

ARTISAN & CERTIFICATE

Cai Danjie has worked at the wheel in Chaozhou since 1999, under the studio name Hexing Tang (合兴堂). In 2024 he was certified in ceramic techniques under Guangdong Province’s professional title system. Every pot leaves his workshop with a collection card he fills in and signs by hand — form, clay, capacity, date made, and number.

PRODUCT DETAILS

Form: Dezhong (德钟) teapot
Material: Zhuni clay, locally sourced in Chaozhou
Craft method: Fully hand-thrown by Cai Danjie, no mould
Color: Warm red
Capacity: 120 ml
Height: 8 cm
Mouth diameter: 5 cm
Weight: 130 g
Wall thickness: 1.5–2 mm
Firing temperature: at least 1,140°C (2,084°F)
Full-pot pour time: approximately 11 seconds
Filter holes: 9
Place of production: Chaozhou, Guangdong, China

WHAT IS INCLUDED

One teapot and one signed maker’s collection card, completed by hand. Bowls, cups, trays, and other styling props shown in the photographs are not included.

CARE

Rinse with warm water before first use. Avoid detergent, dishwashers, and sudden temperature changes. Let the pot dry completely with the lid removed after each use.

Zhuni darkens and gains a soft sheen with years of use. That change is normal and is considered part of the pot.

Please note: hand-thrown teaware varies in colour, shape, and finish from piece to piece. No two come out the same. That is the point.

THE MAKER

Thrown by hand by Cai Danjie (蔡淡杰) in Chaozhou, Guangdong. He holds the intermediate professional title of Craft Artist (工艺美术师) in Ceramic Arts, conferred in August 2024 by the Jieyang Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, Guangdong Province. Certificate No. 2452003010242.

→ Read more about Cai Danjie