Winter Dragon Yixing Teapot

We purchased this teapot in a Teavana shop. The very first time I attempted to use it, it leaked profusely from the bottom. We took the teapot back to the shop and were told that it had a hairline fracture inside the teapot which led to the leaking. The attendant pulled out the same teapot from their stocks and examined that one to find that it, too, had the same fracture. This is because Yixing clay is fragile and the pots are not packed very well when they arrive at the store.

The scales on the dragon are not modeled as clearly as depicted in the photo. They are more defined by shading painted on. The head of the dragon is charming, however, and I did not send the pot back.

I love the Winter Dragon Yixing Teapot! It's an affordable price for such a unique and useful item. When mine is not in use, it's often the centerpiece of the breakfast table because of it's sculptural qualities. It makes a lovely gift to someone who has limited kitchen/dining space since it is both functional and decorative. I like the color of this teapot as well, as most of the others offered are dark, while this one has a nice cream color with other accents.

I've been looking at the yixing pots for awhile, and I purchased both the winter and the sea dragon tea pots. I bought both online; this one arrived in perfect condition, the other's horn ends have bits off.

Unlike the other reviewer, I found that this one pours perfectly, much better than my tetsubin. Since these are handmade of clay, it stands to reason that there will be some variation in the spout and other features as well.

This yixing pot does not come with a strainer, so you will want to use something else to brew the tea. I brew my tea in a gaiwan separately, and fill it with three steepings worth to use it as a "fairness pitcher." You can also use a tea ball or place the leaves in directly.

Remember that the yixing pots season over time, so you want to use one kind of tea. I use this one exclusively for tie guan yin (monkey picked oolong).

This is a very nice Winter Dragon Tea Pot. I also have a tea pot warmer which does no damage to it. The only concern I have is the way how the tea spout is made, after pouring your cup of tea the tea tends to drip down the spout after your done pouring it so you have to pour it in a certain way to avoid that from happening. Other than that it is a unique tea pot a lot of my friends like it and I will always use this Tea Pot to brew my tea's!!