Yixing Mug with Infuser

This beautiful handmade lidded Yixing mug comes with its own removable infuser.  The lid doubles as a coaster on which to hold the  infuser once the tea has finished brewing. It is made of the purple clay, zisha clay, that is said to only occur in the Yellow Dragon Cave of Dingshan town in Yixing, China. It is said in China that zisha clay is worth more than gold and teapots made of this clay are prized despite their high prices due to their advantages in brewing tea. Not only are they said to maintain the freshness of the tea for long periods of time, but they also bring out the flavor of the tea and retain the heat longer than teapots made of other materials.  Zisha clay has the ability to withstand high temperatures and is slow to conduct heat; therefore, the handle remains comfortably cool even when drinking very hot tea. Zisha clay is very porous and because of this it is advisable to brew only one kind of tea in an Yixing teapot or mug because it will absorb the tea into the clay