From a quiet studio in Dingshu, Yixing
Michael Zhan had just finished a sourcing trip in Yunnan’s high‑mountain pu‑erh villages when he took a detour to Dingshu, the heart of zisha clay. Tea pets were a new line for the constellation, and he wanted authentic, hand‑carved pieces — nothing molded, nothing mass‑produced. A third‑generation artisan, Master Xu, opened his workshop to him. Among the drying shelves, Michael noticed a coiled dragon, its scales each undercut by a single knife stroke. The dark zisha clay had been aged four years before throwing, giving it a cool, dense weight. Master Xu explained the dragon is a water spirit — apt for a tea tray, where it’s ‘fed’ by every poured infusion. This lot was limited to twenty pieces, each with slight differences in the incised scales and the tension of the coil. Michael selected eight for tea.toys, drawn to how the dragon’s posture commands a 40cm+ tray without feeling heavy‑handed. Before shipping, each piece received a ceremonial first pour of aged shuǐ xiān from Master Xu himself, starting its journey of patina.