Verdant Tea

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong is famous for her hand-excavated and blended Di Cao Qing clay, a rich, dense and mottled clay that Lai Xiahong blends from minerals settled in her trough after months of careful aging. This meticulously hand-built Qiu Yue form shows off Lai Xiaohong’s traditional grounding and her modern fluid sensibility in her art. The warm Di Cao Qing clay is ready to take on more depth and luster over a lifetime of use.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong is famous for her hand-excavated and blended Di Cao Qing clay, a rich, dense and mottled clay that Lai Xiahong blends from minerals settled in her trough after months of careful aging. This meticulously hand-built Ru Xiang form shows off Lai Xiaohong’s traditional grounding and her modern fluid sensibility in her art. The warm Di Cao Qing clay is ready to take on more depth and luster over a lifetime of use.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong is famous for her hand-excavated and blended Di Cao Qing clay, a rich, dense and mottled clay that Lai Xiahong blends from minerals settled in her trough after months of careful aging. This meticulously hand-built Chong Ting form shows off Lai Xiaohong’s traditional grounding and her modern fluid sensibility in her art. The warm Di Cao Qing clay is ready to take on more depth and luster over a lifetime of use.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong is famous for her hand-excavated and blended Di Cao Qing clay, a rich, dense and mottled clay that Lai Xiahong blends from minerals settled in her trough after months of careful aging. This meticulously hand-built form shows off Lai Xiaohong’s traditional grounding and her modern fluid sensibility in her art. The warm Di Cao Qing clay is ready to take on more depth and luster over a lifetime of use.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong is famous for her hand-excavated and blended Di Cao Qing clay, a rich, dense and mottled clay that Lai Xiahong blends from minerals settled in her trough after months of careful aging. This hand-built Gu Xiang form shows off Lai Xiaohong’s traditional grounding and her modern fluid sensibility in her art. The warm golden clay will take on luster and patina over a lifetime of use.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong is famous for her hand-excavated and blended Di Cao Qing clay, a rich, dense and mottled clay that Lai Xiahong blends from minerals settled in her trough after months of careful aging. This meticulously hand-built Yi Li Zhu form shows off Lai Xiaohong’s traditional grounding and her modern fluid sensibility in her art. The warm Di Cao Qing clay is ready to take on more depth and luster over a lifetime of use.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong brings together fine clay and a modern, organic sensibility to traditional forms. This "Li Hu" or "pear" teapot is a perfect example of her hand crafted work. This versatile and deep red Da Hong Pao Ni clay ages beautifully with any kind of tea, gaining more depth and luster over years of brewing.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong’s beautiful Yu Zi Ni brings vivid color and deep speckling to this classic Li Xing form through a careful blend of her personally-excavated Zi Ni and Zhu Ni clays. The "Si Ting" form allows the intensity of color and mottling in the unique Yu Zi Ni to shine. Lai Xiaohong crafted this teapot for a lifetime of use, selecting and hand-blending a clay that will continue to grow more and more lustrous over each brewing session.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong brings together fine clay and a modern, organic sensibility to traditional forms. This "Yi Ci Tian" teapot is a perfect example of her hand crafted work. This unique pot showcases Lai Xiaohong’s creative spirit with a lid that features holes to allow for water to be poured without removing the top, and allows for faster pouring of tea. This deep red Da Hong Pao Ni clay ages beautifully with any kind of tea, gaining more depth and luster over years of brewing.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong brings together fine clay and a modern, organic sensibility to traditional forms. This "Han Zhong" teapot is a perfect example of her hand crafted work. This versatile and deep red Da Hong Pao Ni clay ages beautifully with any kind of tea, gaining more depth and luster over years of brewing.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong brings together fine clay and a modern, organic sensibility to traditional forms. This Bian Yu teapot is a perfect example of her hand crafted work. This beautiful Zi Ni clay ages beautifully with almost any kind of tea, gaining more depth and luster over years of brewing.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong’s beautiful Yu Zi Ni brings vivid color and deep speckling to this classic Xi Shi form through a careful blend of her personally-excavated Zi Ni and Zhu Ni clays. The "Xi Shi" form allows the intensity of color and mottling in the unique Yu Zi Ni to shine. Lai Xiaohong crafted this teapot for a lifetime of use, selecting and hand-blending a clay that will continue to grow more and more lustrous over each brewing session.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong brings together fine clay and a modern, organic sensibility to traditional forms. This geometric Shi Piao teapot is a perfect example of her hand crafted work. The lovely Di Cao Qing clay will age beautifully with almost any kind of tea, gaining more depth and luster over years of brewing.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong brings together fine clay and a modern, organic sensibility to traditional forms. This Shi Piao teapot is a perfect example of her hand crafted work. The taller body and wide lid makes this pot a great fit for "fluffy" large leaf teas. The stunning Di Cao Qing clay will age beautifully with almost any kind of tea, gaining more depth and luster over years of brewing.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong’s beautiful Yu Zi Ni brings vivid color and deep speckling to this classic Li Xing form through a careful blend of her personally-excavated Zi Ni and Zhu Ni clays. The "Si Ting" form allows the intensity of color and mottling in the unique Yu Zi Ni to shine. Lai Xiaohong crafted this teapot for a lifetime of use, selecting and hand-blending a clay that will continue to grow more and more lustrous over each brewing session.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong is famous for her hand-excavated and blended Di Cao Qing clay, a rich, dense and mottled clay that Lai Xiahong blends from minerals settled in her trough after months of careful aging. This meticulously hand-built Yu Bi form shows off Lai Xiaohong’s traditional grounding and her modern fluid sensibility in her art. The warm Di Cao Qing clay is ready to take on more depth and luster over a lifetime of use.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong brings together fine clay and a modern, organic sensibility to traditional forms. This small format Zhou Zhi teapot is a perfect example of her hand crafted work. The beautiful zhu ni clay is just waiting to be seasoned and grow more lustrous over a lifetime of use.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong brings together fine clay and a modern, organic sensibility to traditional forms. This geometric Shi Piao teapot is a perfect example of her hand crafted work. The stunning Di Cao Qing clay ages beautifully with almost any kind of tea, gaining more depth and luster over years of brewing.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong’s hand built this unique tea pot. The "De Li" form evokes a fisherman with a bamboo pole - the distinctive lid mimics a "fisherman's hat," especially when paired with the long "fishing pole" spout. Lai Xiaohong crafted this small format teapot for a lifetime of use, selecting and hand-blending a clay that will continue to grow more and more lustrous over each brewing session.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong brings together fine clay and a modern, organic sensibility to traditional forms. This geometric Zou Quan teapot is a perfect example of her hand crafted work. The lovely Da Hong Pao Ni clay will age beautifully with almost any kind of tea, gaining more depth and luster over years of brewing.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong brings together fine clay and a modern, organic sensibility to traditional forms. This traditional Shui Ping teapot is a perfect example of her hand crafted work. The lovely Da Hong Pao Ni clay will age beautifully with almost any kind of tea, gaining more depth and luster over years of brewing.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong brings together fine clay and a modern, organic sensibility to traditional forms. This Si Ting teapot is a perfect example of her hand crafted work. The lovely Zhu Ni clay will age beautifully with almost any kind of tea, gaining more depth and luster over years of brewing.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong brings together fine clay and a modern, organic sensibility to traditional forms. This traditional Wen Dan teapot is a perfect example of her hand crafted work. The uniquely mottled Yu Zi Ni clay will age beautifully with almost any kind of tea, gaining more depth and luster over years of brewing.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong is famous for her hand-excavated and blended Di Cao Qing clay, a rich, dense and mottled clay that Lai Xiahong blends from minerals settled in her trough after months of careful aging. This meticulously hand-built "Tree Stump" form takes inspiration from nature and shows off Lai Xiaohong’s hand cradfting and playful sculpture work. The warm Di Cao Qing clay is ready to take on more depth and luster over a lifetime of use.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong brings together fine clay and a modern, organic sensibility to traditional forms. This "Yi Ci Tian" teapot is a perfect example of her hand crafted work. This unique pot showcases Lai Xiaohong’s creative spirit with a lid that features holes to allow for water to be poured without removing the top, and allows for faster pouring of tea. This deep red Da Hong Pao Ni clay ages beautifully with any kind of tea, gaining more depth and luster over years of brewing.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong’s beautiful Yu Zi Ni brings vivid color and deep speckling to this classic Li Xing form through a careful blend of her personally-excavated Zi Ni and Zhu Ni clays. The "Li Hu" or "pear" form allows the intensity of color and mottling in the unique Yu Zi Ni to shine. Lai Xiaohong crafted this teapot for a lifetime of use, selecting and hand-blending a clay that will continue to grow more and more lustrous over each brewing session.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong is famous for her hand-excavated and blended Di Cao Qing clay, a rich, dense and mottled clay that Lai Xiahong blends from minerals settled in her trough after months of careful aging. This meticulously hand-built Shuo Guo form shows off Lai Xiaohong’s traditional grounding and her modern fluid sensibility in her art. The warm Di Cao Qing clay is ready to take on more depth and luster over a lifetime of use.

Much of Lai Xiaohong’s career has been a meditation on the various shapes inspired by the moon. This special ban yue or “half moon” teapot is one of her oldest most classic forms, perfectly balanced with graceful sweeping lines and a perfectly integrated spout. Lai Xiaohong hand-crafted this teapot with strikingly beautiful Qing Hui Ni for a lifetime of use.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong’s beautiful Yu Zi Ni brings vivid color and deep speckling to this classic Li Xing form through a careful blend of her personally-excavated Zi Ni and Zhu Ni clays. The "Qing Xiang" form allows the intensity of color and mottling in the unique Yu Zi Ni to shine. Lai Xiaohong crafted this teapot for a lifetime of use, selecting and hand-blending a clay that will continue to grow more and more lustrous over each brewing session.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong brings together fine clay and a modern  sensibility to traditional forms. This meticulously hand-built Wen Dan form shows off Lai Xiaohong’s traditional grounding and her modern fluid sensibility in her art. The warm Da Hong Pao Ni clay is ready to take on more depth and luster over a lifetime of use.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong’s beautiful Yu Zi Ni brings vivid color and deep speckling to this classic Li Xing form through a careful blend of her personally-excavated Zi Ni and Zhu Ni clays. The "Si Ting" form allows the intensity of color and mottling in the unique Yu Zi Ni to shine. Lai Xiaohong crafted this teapot for a lifetime of use, selecting and hand-blending a clay that will continue to grow more and more lustrous over each brewing session.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong brings together fine clay and a modern  sensibility to traditional forms. This meticulously hand-built Jiu Hu form shows off Lai Xiaohong’s traditional grounding, and the small 90ml capacity makes this a perfect pot for intimate sessions. The warm Da Hong Pao Ni clay is ready to take on more depth and luster over a lifetime of use.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong brings together fine clay and a modern, organic sensibility to traditional forms. This small format Zhou Zhi teapot is a perfect example of her hand crafted work. The beautiful zhu ni clay is just waiting to be seasoned and grow more lustrous over a lifetime of use.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong brings together fine clay and a modern, organic sensibility to traditional forms. This Fang Gu teapot is a perfect example of her hand crafted work. The beautiful zhu ni clay is just waiting to be seasoned and grow more lustrous over a lifetime of use.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong is famous for her hand-excavated and blended Di Cao Qing clay, a rich, dense and mottled clay that Lai Xiahong blends from minerals settled in her trough after months of careful aging. This meticulously hand-built Han Pou form adorned with a carved cicada shows off Lai Xiaohong’s traditional grounding and her modern fluid sensibility in her art. The warm Di Cao Qing clay is ready to take on more depth and luster over a lifetime of use.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong brings together fine clay and a modern, organic sensibility to traditional forms. This "Zhu Piao" teapot is a perfect example of her hand crafted work. This deep purple Zi Ni clay ages beautifully with any kind of tea, gaining more depth and luster over years of brewing.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong is famous for her hand-excavated and blended Di Cao Qing clay, a rich, dense and mottled clay that Lai Xiahong blends from minerals settled in her trough after months of careful aging. This meticulously hand-built Zhuo Ci form adorned with a carved cicada shows off Lai Xiaohong’s traditional grounding and her modern fluid sensibility in her art. The warm Di Cao Qing clay is ready to take on more depth and luster over a lifetime of use.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong is famous for her hand-excavated and blended Di Cao Qing clay, a rich, dense and mottled clay that Lai Xiahong blends from minerals settled in her trough after months of careful aging. This meticulously hand-built Nan Gua form adorned with a carved cricket shows off Lai Xiaohong’s traditional grounding and her modern fluid sensibility in her art. The warm Di Cao Qing clay is ready to take on more depth and luster over a lifetime of use.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong is famous for her hand-excavated and blended Di Cao Qing clay, a rich, dense and mottled clay that Lai Xiahong blends from minerals settled in her trough after months of careful aging. This meticulously hand-built Nan Gua form shows off Lai Xiaohong’s traditional grounding and her modern fluid sensibility in her art. The warm Di Cao Qing clay is ready to take on more depth and luster over a lifetime of use.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong is famous for her hand-excavated and blended Di Cao Qing clay, a rich, dense and mottled clay that Lai Xiahong blends from minerals settled in her trough after months of careful aging. This meticulously hand-built Shi Piao form with its carved lid shows off Lai Xiaohong’s traditional grounding and her modern fluid sensibility in her art. The warm Di Cao Qing clay is ready to take on more depth and luster over a lifetime of use.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong is famous for her hand-excavated and blended Di Cao Qing clay, a rich, dense and mottled clay that Lai Xiahong blends from minerals settled in her trough after months of careful aging. This meticulously hand-built Nan Gua form shows off Lai Xiaohong’s traditional grounding and her modern fluid sensibility in her art. The warm Di Cao Qing clay is ready to take on more depth and luster over a lifetime of use.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong is famous for her hand-excavated and blended Di Cao Qing clay, a rich, dense and mottled clay that Lai Xiahong blends from minerals settled in her trough after months of careful aging. This meticulously hand-built "Tree Stump" form takes inspiration from nature and shows off Lai Xiaohong’s hand cradfting and playful sculpture work. The warm Di Cao Qing clay is ready to take on more depth and luster over a lifetime of use.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong is famous for her hand-excavated and blended Di Cao Qing clay, a rich, dense and mottled clay that Lai Xiahong blends from minerals settled in her trough after months of careful aging. This meticulously hand-built Fang Gu form shows off Lai Xiaohong’s traditional grounding and her modern fluid sensibility in her art. The fine detailed calligraphy inscribes a sutra across the pot face. The warm Di Cao Qing clay is ready to take on more depth and luster over a lifetime of use.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong brings together fine clay and a modern, organic sensibility to traditional forms. This Qiao Gui teapot is hand build with beautiful Di Cao Qing Ni and features a delicate carved bird, perched on the scuplted body of the pot. The clay will beautifully with almost any kind of tea, gaining more depth and luster over years of brewing.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong brings together fine clay and a modern, organic sensibility to traditional forms. This tea pot features a ling zhi mushroom (or reishi mushroom) for its finial, connecting the formal pot to both poetry and nature. This lovely Zi Ni clay will age beautifully with almost any kind of tea, gaining more depth and luster over years of brewing.

This teapot from award-winning artist Lai Xiahong was hand built using a beautiful Zi Yu Pao Ni purple clay. The versatile pot features a carving of chariot riders pulled by a prancing horse. The lid is well-fitted, and the spout and handle are carefully sculpted for a lifetime of use.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong brings together fine clay and a modern, organic sensibility to traditional forms. This Shi Pou form teapot is a perfect example of her hand crafted work. The lovely Di Cao Qing clay will age beautifully with almost any kind of tea, gaining more depth and luster over years of brewing.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong brings together fine clay and a modern, organic sensibility to traditional forms. This "Zhu Jie" teapot is a perfect example of her hand crafted work. This deep purple Zi Ni clay ages beautifully with any kind of tea, gaining more depth and luster over years of brewing.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong brings together fine clay and a modern, organic sensibility to traditional forms. This "Qin Xiang" teapot is a perfect example of her hand crafted work, finished with a delicate carving of a bird perched on a branch. The mottled Di Cao Qing clay ages beautifully with almost any kind of tea, gaining more depth and luster over years of brewing. 

This stunningly thin, remarkably light & meticulously-sculpted pot shows off award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong’s Huang Jin Duan Ni, a deep golden clay blended from her personal collection of hand-excavated minerals from mountain sites around yixing. This hand-built Du Pin form shows off Lai Xiaohong’s traditional grounding and her modern fluid sensibility in her art. The warm golden clay will take on luster and patina over a lifetime of use.

Award-winning artist Lai Xiaohong is famous for her hand-excavated and blended Di Cao Qing clay, a rich, dense and mottled clay that Lai Xiahong blends from minerals settled in her trough after months of careful aging. This meticulously hand-built Gu Xiang form shows off Lai Xiaohong’s traditional grounding and her modern fluid sensibility in her art. The warm Di Cao Qing clay has been carefully swirled with golden Duan Ni for an incredible fluid effect, and is ready to take on more depth and luster over a lifetime of use.

The Fang Gu form is one of the most traditional and widely loved Yixing styles in the world for good reason. The wind rounded body and the large lid make it practical for any size or shape of tea, and it slow profile gives it a balance and sense of stability while brewing. Master potter Zhu Huan brings her skill and stunning clay to bear on the Fang Gu with this incredible piece, executing a more perfect balance of form that can only be achieved through experienced hand crafting. Her Zhu Ni clay is a deep and glowing red, ready to take on deep luster over years of brewing.

The Shi Piao in all its glory; a heightened drama, a stark presence, a geometric inevitability. Master potter Zhu Huan brings all of her craft to bear in this inspired piece. In its lines and the mottling of the spectacular Chen Pi Sha Ni clay, this Shi Piao is a conversation between clay as yielding boundless form and clay as unyielding rock. This dramatic tension plays out in the almost “hewn” calligraphic bamboo against the smooth buffed clay, and the curves against the geometry of the triangular form. This masterwork is ready to take on deeper luster and patina over a lifetime of use.

National Master Potter Tang Xianwu is famous for the elegance and grace with which she executes incredibly difficult to sculpt forms like this one. The hand smoothing and mathematical precision required to transition between teapot body facets so flawlessly hint at the incredible artist behind this perfect form, inspired by the xiao jin gua, the gourd form bound by rope to create beautiful patterns- a collaboration between human craft and the organic happenstance of nature, just like a perfect teapot.

This teapot’s name “Wei Miao Wei Xiao” loosely translated to “reflecting on the sublime,” a fitting name for a piece like this. In the sublime is something unknowable, something organic and real that we see through the lens of beauty and awe. The organic inspiration of the form and the incredible fired clay are certainly reflected through a lens of beauty in this masterwork.

Tang Xianwu has gained steady fame and accolades over the years, winning awards at every competition, so we are excited to still be able to offer her work due to a long working relationship. The pictures speak for themselves showing off the perfect elegance of this piece, the way the facets gather together on the bottom of the pot and flow all the way up to the lid handle. Don’t miss the generous hand-built strainer in the pot body, or the exquisite details like the lines between each facet.