Yixing Zini Shuiping Wuhui 紫泥水平焐灰 (100 ml)

Ash burned Yixing Zini teapot

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Yixing Zini Shuiping Wuhui

Wuhui means burning of ashes or burning with ashes. This Yixing teapot is made from the original purple clay material (zini) from Mount Huanglong in Yixing City. Its black appearance comes from the combustion technique known as Wuhui.

Volume: 100 ml

Shape: Shuiping

Material: Original Zini (purple clay) from Huanglong Mountain in Yixing City

Semi handcrafted with the help of a mold.

History of the Wuhui Technique

Burning ashes is not a technique that was invented in modern times. The technique of burning ashes has existed since ancient times, although it was not verified at the beginning. Our ancestors of pot making have long used this technique to change the color of the original clay, for aesthetic appreciation or to cover up the uneven color of the finished product (this often happened in the past when there was no electric or gas oven and all ceramic products were wood-fired). In the past the rice grain chaff was generally used as a filler for ash burning, but nowadays, charcoal powder is usually used for ash burning (so it is for our Shuiping Wuhui).

How does Wuhui work?

Although it is not so common these days that Yixing teapot is uneven in color due to an electric and gas oven, the Wuhui technique is becoming increasingly popular for aesthetic reasons, especially after the original black Yixing clay has become rare and a pure luxury.

The technique basically consists of putting the already burned products back in an 800-degree Celsius oven (no high temperature required, as the teapots have already been burned once and are basically finished products). A canister full of charcoal ash is put together in the oven, and the teapots are also filled with charcoal ash. Due to the high porosity and absorption of Yixing clay, the surface of the teapots absorbed the charcoal ash and turned black. The black color is not reversible unless the teapots burn a third time without charcoal ash.

How to use Wuhui Teapot

It is recommended to soak the teapot in clean water for a day before use, or to boil it in clean water for 15 minutes before use. This is not because the color is coming off, which is not possible, but because the tea in a new Wuhui teapot may not taste as pure due to some particles that were not fully absorbed and remained on the surface of the teapot.

Effects of Wuhui on tea

Some people say that tea, especially strong and astringent tea, becomes softer and tastes more mineral. We recommend young Sheng Pu Erh, Shu Pu Erh, Oolong baked with charcoal, dark oolong and black tea for a Wuhui Yixing teapot.