Teacup
Wenchuang

Nixing Clay 坭興陶

Boasting a 1300 year old history, Nixing – along with Yixing, Jianshui and Rongchang – is one of the four celebrated styles of traditional Chinese pottery. Produced in Qinzhou, Guangxi province, Nixing wares are made from a mixture of two clays dug from either side of the Qinjiang river banks. Baked unglazed at high temperatures of around 1200°C, the mineral-rich clay takes on hues ranging from the characteristic deep copper brown to blue-greys and black. Nixing ceramics are then often polished to reveal an incredibly smooth matte surface that is particularly suited to decorative carving. With the exception of fruit and intense herbal teas, teapots made from Nixing clay are suitable for all types of tea, slightly rounding off the taste for a less astringent and more harmonious flavour profile. Although less porous than Yixing clay, over time Nixing teapots will absorb tea oils and slowly develop a flavour patina, therefore brewing similar types of tea is recommended.