Traditional purple clay teapots are purely hand-sculpted by the craftsman.

A zisha teapot.

Inside the Yixing Ceramic Museum, a visitor checks out the unique mineral composition that gives Yixing purple clay its enduring popularity.

A zisha teapot.

A zisha teapot.

Master artisan Gu Jingzhou's former residence.

Fan Weiqun, 50, a master of purple clay craft in Yixing, illustrates to his desciple how to create the intricate details on a teapot.

A zisha teapot.

A zisha teapot.

A zisha teapot.