茶寵
貔貅
一尊以光澤溫潤的朱泥紅土雕塑的蹲伏貔貅，鎮守茶盤，隨每一次澆淋而色澤漸深。
$95USD · 130 g
深秋時節，Michael Zhan 從他慣常的雲南與福建採購之行途中岔開，向東前往宜興。此行並非為了茶壺，而是為了茶寵——這些在功夫茶盤上伴茶而居的小型泥塑夥伴。在丁蜀鎮外圍的一處家族作坊裡，他覓得一位只使用小煤窯礦區朱泥原礦的師傅。這種泥料素以難以塑形著稱；高含鐵量使其在燒製時收縮不均，每窯能完好出窯的成品寥寥無幾。
Michael 花了半個下午，看著陶匠的拇指將貔貅的形貌一一捏壓而出——每一尊都是手工雕塑的孤品，絕非模具壓製。他之所以選中這尊貔貅，在於牠脊背那道繃緊的曲線，以及頭部警醒昂揚的神態，彷彿隨時要躍入下一場茶席。底部在最終入窯前壓上了師傅的款識，這是這個家族傳承三代的習慣。
朱泥紅能養出特別鮮活的包漿。與孔隙較多的紫泥不同，朱泥吃色緩慢，考驗的是耐心。Michael 從那批作品裡帶回了八尊貔貅——每一尊都有編號、留下影像，並被收進亞麻布袋中，靜待登上某方茶盤。他說，購入茶寵最好的時機，就是在它尚未沾染任何故事之前；你為它澆下的第一道茶湯，將成為一段長達數十年對話的起點。
The leaf, brewed
dry leaf
Dry appearance: a rich, even vermilion with a fine-grained texture; the pixiu sits in a protective crouch, mane detail sharply defined.
wet leaf
After first pour: the clay deepens momentarily, tiny iron speckles emerging through the red; a faint scent of damp earth rises.
liquor
As tea coats the surface, a glossy film forms, accumulating over sessions to build a mirror-like patina that shifts from bright red to warm mahogany.
aroma
Absorbs the fragrance of the tea it is fed — early on, roasted notes of yancha cling; over years, a subtle blend of aged sheng and honeyed oolong.
taste
The pet tastes nothing, but the layers of tea tell the story of countless infusions; each pour leaves a silent record of shared ceremony.
finish
With a decade of feeding, the pixiu will wear a deep, luminous patina — an heirloom-depth shine that honours the companionable art of gongfu.
Brewing
茶事結束後，以溫水沖洗，再用柔軟棉布拍乾。切勿使用肥皂或清潔劑，以免破壞日漸養成的包漿。存放於茶盤上或通風處即可。
Sourced by
採購與選品專員（中國）