Pitcher or Jug, Master Shen, Taiwan

PITCHER OR JUG FOR GONG FU CHA Capacity 300ml Master Shen The pitcher is one of the fundamental tools of gong fu cha, a technique for preparing Chinese tea. They can also be used as teapots for brewing large-leaf teas, like most pure teas from China and Taiwan. The pitcher is used as a vessel to receive the liquid after brewing in the teapot. Instead of pouring the tea from the teapot into various cups, it is first poured into the pitcher and then from there into the cups one by one. This is because otherwise, the tea would be stronger in some cups and weaker in others. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION This teapot is part of one of the treasures we were fortunate to discover on our trip to Taiwan in spring 2018. Just before returning to Italy, we met Master Shen who has been running his small workshop for many years, where he produces high-quality Yixing-type teapots made with clay from the Yingge district, Taiwan. The teapot has a capacity of 280 ml. We chose this capacity because it can be suitable both for Gong Fu Cha and for Western-style infusions. Perfect for brewing pure teas, and multiple infusions. A gift for both connoisseurs and those new to the world of Taiwanese tea and beyond. The clay from Yingge is particularly suitable for creating high-quality teapots, indeed in this district there is a village full of tea shops and craft stores. Near Yingge, there are various quarries from which high-quality clay is still extracted today. The peculiarity of this clay is that it is porous to the right extent, with a balanced presence of minerals. Yingge teapots are among the best in Taiwan for their infusion performance. You'll notice! Master Shen is a master in the art of creating quality teapots. He has been running his workshop for generations, today with the help of his wife. It is a simple place, his teapots are created from various plaster molds that he personally creates. The process is as follows: 1. Design and drawing of the teapot 2. Creation of various plaster molds 3. Creation of different pieces for each mold (handle, lid, spout, body, etc.) 4. Liquid clay is poured into each mold and left for the appropriate time to lose the right amount of water. 5. Once this point is reached, the pieces are individually joined by hand, creating the raw teapot 6. Smoothing of imperfections, refining of the teapot 7. Fired at temperatures that are decided based on various factors 8. Sent to Italy at Terza Luna!