A small Jianshui gongfu teapot made for solo sessions. At just 80 ml, the “Little Drum” has a compact, straight-sided body, an understated stepped lid, and a comfortable loop handle. It is small enough for one person yet roomy enough for the broad, whole leaves we love to brew.
The thicker clay body holds warmth well for concentrated gongfu brewing. What impressed us most is its balance and fast, clean pour. In our sessions, even large puerh leaves have poured without getting in the way. These are the small details that make a teapot enjoyable to reach for every day.
Ball strainer: All three finishes have the same built-in spherical, multi-hole strainer at the spout. The strainer detail photo shows this shared feature; only the exterior clay finish differs between variants.
Why Jianshui?
Jianshui in Yunnan, China, has a long pottery tradition. Its famous purple pottery, also called zitao, is known for its finely prepared local clay and careful finishing. It comes from the same province as many of China's ancient-tree puerh tea regions, which makes it a natural pairing in our tea practice.
Jianshui pottery is relatively low in porosity compared with many other traditional unglazed clays. We find it versatile for switching between different tea styles when rinsed and dried properly.
Which Teas Work Best?
Our favorites: Ripe puerh (shou), raw puerh (sheng), black tea, and aged white tea. The warm brewing environment works especially well for fuller-bodied teas and long sessions with ancient-tree leaves that can handle many infusions. The pot is not our first choice for delicate green teas, which often taste better with gentler heat.
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Leo's Story: The Teapot That Led Me to Jianshui
A year before I visited Jianshui, I found one of Master Zhu's teapots in a shop in Shenzhen. I loved it so much that I decided I had to make the trip to Jianshui myself.
On my very first night there, the woman checking me into my hotel turned out to be Master Zhu's niece. Of all the people I could have met, it was the niece of the potter whose teapot had brought me there in the first place.
That chance meeting still makes me smile. Master Zhu and I have since become very good friends, and I've learned so much from him about Jianshui clay and what makes a teapot pour beautifully. Sometimes the best discoveries really do happen by pure chance.
Leo Lukidi
Founder, Tea & Whisk
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Size & Details
Capacity: Approximately 80 ml, ideal for a solo gongfu session
Width across body: Approximately 2.375 inches
Overall length: Approximately 4 inches, spout to handle
Height: Approximately 2.5 inches including lid
Material: Jianshui clay (zitao pottery)
Region: Jianshui, Yunnan, China
Potter: Master Zhu
Finish choices: Charcoal Grain (textured dark clay), Midnight Slate (smoother slate-black), or Copper Earth (warm reddish brown)
Included: One teapot with lid in the selected finish
The three finishes share the same shape, dimensions, and capacity. Please select your finish from the options. Other teaware, if shown in photos, is for illustration only.
Care
Rinse with hot water after use and allow the teapot to air-dry completely with the lid off. Avoid fragranced soap. If you plan to continue an ancient-tree tea session the next day, transfer the damp leaves to a clean, covered container and refrigerate promptly rather than leaving them in the warm teapot overnight.
