Studio Li
Half-handmade Yixing zisha teapots from Studio Li, Jiangsu — classic, minimalist forms in highly vitrified zhuni, made largely for the Taiwanese high-mountain tea market.
About Studio Li (Yixing, China)
Studio Li works in Yixing (宜兴), Jiangsu, the centre of Chinese zisha teapot making. The studio specialises in classic, minimalist old forms, half-handmade in zisha — the unglazed “purple sand” stoneware of the region. It works from authentic clay held in the studio's own family reserves, some of it sourced decades ago — material that grows harder to come by as good Yixing ore becomes scarce.
Studio Li's focus is the Taiwanese market, exporting extensively to tea shops and high-end boutiques across Taiwan. That orientation centres the work on zhuni (朱泥): a highly vitrified, high-fired red clay whose dense, ringing body suits Taiwan's high-mountain (gaoshan) oolongs particularly well. The studio also takes commissions, adjusting form and refining quality to a customer's specifications.
Classic Yixing forms, refined by hand for gongfu tea.
Short Bio
- Yixing (宜兴), Jiangsu — China's centre of zisha teapot making.
- Specialises in classic, minimalist old forms, half-handmade in zisha.
- Works across Zhuni (朱泥), Duanni (段泥) and Luni (绿泥), with zhuni at the centre of the studio's output.
- Uses authentic clay from the studio's own family-held reserves, some of it sourced decades ago.
- Focused on the Taiwanese market — exports widely to Taiwanese tea shops and high-end boutiques.
- Their highly vitrified, high-fired zhuni suits high-mountain (gaoshan) oolongs.
- Takes commissions, adjusting form and refining quality to a customer's specifications.
New to Yixing zisha? Our guide explains which clay suits which tea — how zhuni, zini, duanni, jiangponi and luni each shape the cup.