Ba Gua Ti Liang [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Generations of masters have sculpted zisha teapots from a unique clay variety in Jiangsu province's Yixiang for centuries. They're popular not only as quality containers for brewed tea but also for their refined design.

Chang Yuehong hails from a family of zisha-teapot craftspeople.

His family was originally from Shanxi province. In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), they entered the tea trade and operated a teapot-making studio in Yixing.

Chang Yuehong, master of Yixing purple clay teapot[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Chang recently unveiled several new designs in Beijing. His works demonstrate a mastery of the time-honored craft that uses the advantages of zisha clay as an outstanding medium for making teapots.

His designs are innovations on the spirit of zisha teapots.

The patterns and shapes convey a scholarly aesthetic and also cater to contemporary people's pursuit of quality and gracefulness.