About Simon

I am Simon, the founder of Teapot Craftsman. My interest in making began in childhood, through woodwork, pottery, and the quiet study of proportion and useful objects.

At seventeen, I began learning Yixing zisha teapot making under my father's guidance. I started with the fundamentals: preparing clay slabs, forming by hand, and refining the surface. Repetition taught me that a teapot is not made in a single moment. It is shaped through practice, patience, and careful correction.

Learning Through Practice

Over the following years, I learned from three experienced teachers, each with a different understanding of Yixing craft. Some focused on structure and proportion, some on line and rhythm, and others on clay behavior and firing.

Those different perspectives helped me develop a personal standard: respect tradition without copying blindly, and value handwork without turning it into a label. Traditional craft is not a fixed set of gestures; it is knowledge built through time and repeated practice.

Why Teapot Craftsman Exists

Teapot Craftsman was created to offer carefully made and carefully selected Yixing works to tea lovers beyond China. The purpose is not to chase volume, but to keep attention on material, form, function, and the person behind each piece.

Where a piece is made by a collaborating craftsman, I describe it honestly. My role is to review the clay, form, workmanship, firing result, and intended use before a work is presented in the studio.

Made for Use

I believe the value of a Yixing teapot is revealed over time, through its balance in the hand, the way it pours, and the quiet ritual of using it. A good piece does not need exaggerated promises. It needs clear information, thoughtful workmanship, and a place in your daily tea practice.

If you have questions about a work, its clay, its making process, or how it may suit your tea, you are welcome to contact me directly.