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 is Zisha clay. Regarding its flavor, compared to early teapots made of Zhuni or Hongni clay, it has a more modest ability to mellow the water, but it seems to remove impurities and enhance the clarity of the tea. It brews tea quite deliciously. Early teapots are tea pots 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 famous artists, they are popular among enthusiasts because they make delicious tea. In short, they used genuine, now-rare Yixing clay even in mass-produced items. The tea brewed in this mass-produced Cultural Revolution Zisha 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, but those are said to have poor flavor performance. This one changes the taste of the water, so I believe it is genuine. It has a single hole and no artist's mark on the underside of the lid, but it has a number, indicating it is from an old era. It is 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 reflect that. Capacity: 150ml Maximum width: 12cm Maximum diameter: 8cm Height: 7cm Zisha Early Teapot 0427-2