Clay first
Lu Dou selects, blends, ages, and refines mineral-rich Yixing earth before a single pot is shaped. The vessel begins long before the wheel.
The Maker
Lu Dou — Yixing clay, in his own hands.
PO/ET is the storefront of Yaoyun Yixing Clay Studio (窑韵), founded by Lu Dou in Dingshu, Yixing — the historic home of Chinese zisha culture. Every pot we ship begins in his studio: clay selected by hand, shaped by hand, fired in his own kiln.
The studio behind the pot — Yaoyun.
Lu Dou is a Yixing clay specialist and teaware designer rooted in Dingshu. After years of studying original clay materials, teapot forms, firing techniques, and the quiet philosophy of Chinese tea, he built Yaoyun as a studio dedicated to authentic Yixing craftsmanship and contemporary cultural expression.
His work begins with the earth itself — selecting, blending, aging, and refining mineral-rich Yixing clay until it is ready to become a vessel for tea, time, and daily ritual.
Yaoyun’s teapots are not designed as decorative objects alone. Each piece is shaped to carry the spirit of Chinese literati tea culture — restraint, balance, warmth, and long companionship. From classical silhouettes to forms inspired by Dunhuang, Zen aesthetics, and auspicious motifs, the studio brings Yixing heritage into modern living spaces.
“A teapot is more than a tool. It is a meeting point of earth, fire, hand, and time — a quiet object that becomes more personal with every brew.”
Lu DouFounder, Yaoyun Yixing Clay Studio · Dingshu, Yixing
How We Work
Three things the studio will not compromise.
Yaoyun is small on purpose. These are the rules that keep it that way.
Form with restraint
From classical silhouettes to designs drawn from Dunhuang, Zen aesthetics, and auspicious motifs — every form is shaped to carry the literati spirit of Chinese tea.
Finished by use
A Yaoyun teapot leaves the studio half-made. The patina — the soft sheen of seasoned zisha — is written into the clay by your tea, over your years.
- Dingshu
- the home of zisha clay
- 500+
- years of the Yixing craft
- 100%
- hand-shaped, unglazed clay
- 40+
- countries shipped
Start somewhere
Find a Yaoyun pot to season.
Browse the catalogue, or write to the studio — retail and wholesale enquiries are both welcome.