Tang Xianwu’s piece “Secret Place” is a tribute to the ancient Scholar’s Studio: a purposeful refuge from the everyday to seek creative inspiration.

The scholar’s studio was typically a humble but thoughtful structure, open to the outdoors, set back from the bustling main home and filled with natural objects of contemplation. These objects were often twisted and gnarled branches, rocks that evoked mountain landscapes, or beautifully-patterned bamboo.

This teapot by National award-winning master potter Tang Xianwu captures that secret and subdued feeling, that elegant but organic connection to the natural world with a geometrically-perfect rounded pot body that transitions into mottled twisting branches at the spout, lid handle and pot handle. 

The dark clay itself contributes to that feeling of mystery, a rare Yuan Kuang Zi Pao Yu Sha clay that has the luster of Zhu Ni but the depth of Zi Ni and Di Cao Qing. This special clay will continue to get more lustrous and deeper with use, giving back texture and complexity with every brew.

Tang Xianwu’s work comes with a collector’s certificate specific to the rare Yuan Kuang Zi Pao Yu Sha clay and a separate artists certificate with her seal, a 3rd party collector’s card certifying the piece and a picture of Tang Xianwu herself with the pot.

This museum-level piece is ready for a lifetime of joyful brewing. Truly, it is hard to describe the feeling of Tang Xianwu’s work in the hand, the way it all fits together so perfectly, the balance, the pour, the way it reflects light.