🫖 2000 year. Wicker Basket Teapot with Passport

🔎 This teapot was purchased at a private auction in Hong Kong along with another similar one. To my great surprise, both teapots arrived complete: teapot, box, passport. The name of the Japanese company Yamaki Ikai was written on the back of the passport. The company was founded in 1930 in the city of Tokoname and distributes tea accessories, including traditional Tokoname teapots, but there is no Yixing teapot in the assortment.

➡️ I wrote to the company by email to find out more about the teapots. The response was quick. According to the representative, the company no longer sells Yixing teapots, but confirmed that these are indeed their products and their passport, which they were very happy about. The company ordered teapots from a ceramic studio in Dingshu, a suburb of Yixing (actually, most teapots are made there), and the entire line of teapots was made exclusively for Yamaki. Unfortunately, the person responsible for relations with China has retired, and we do not know the details.

⚱️ The shape of the "Woven Bamboo Basket" 竹编篮, the lid fits perfectly, almost like a cast one. The water lock works, does not leak. The drain is even. Under the lid are the stamps of the craftswoman Li Shunlin 李顺林, which match the stamps in the passport. Date of manufacture: August 8, 2000.

🧱 Duan Ni clay. A teapot with a thick wall will retain heat well, so it will be ideal for shu pu-erh, aged sheng and heicha.