This is an early Yixing teapot from the Cultural Revolution era, with a base mark indicating it was made in Yixing, China. It has a slightly bright, dark brown color, and I believe it's Zisha clay (purple clay). Regarding its flavor, compared to early teapots made of Zhuni or Hongni clay, it's less effective at mellowing the water, but it seems to excel at removing impurities and enhancing the clarity of the tea. It brews tea quite deliciously. Early teapots are Yixing teapots produced in Yixing, China during the Cultural Revolution. Unlike many modern teapots, Yixing teapots made during the Cultural Revolution used very high-quality clay from Huanglong Mountain (the original source). Even though they were mass-produced and not made by individual artists, they are popular among enthusiasts because they brew delicious tea. In other words, they used genuine, now-rare Yixing clay even in mass-produced items. The tea brewed in this mass-produced Zisha Cultural Revolution teapot tastes better than the tea brewed in a Zisha teapot made by a famous artist, a Grand Master of Arts, that I own. Early teapots have many poor-quality imitations made by Taiwanese tea merchants, and those imitations are said to perform poorly in terms of flavor. This one seems genuine because it alters the taste of the water. It has a single-hole spout and no artist's mark on the underside of the lid, only a number, indicating it's from an older period. It's a particularly popular teapot because it uses especially high-quality clay. Please check the images. This teapot was made for export to earn foreign currency, and the characters carved on the side are a testament to that. Capacity: 150ml Maximum width: 12cm Maximum diameter: 8cm Height: 7cm Zisha Early Teapot 0427-1