Yixing clay  is a type of clay from the region near the city of Yixing in Jiangsu province, China. They are known as Zisha ware, and are typically unglazed. Yixing teawares are prized because their unglazed surfaces absorb traces of the beverage, creating a more complex flavour. For these reasons, clay teawares do not recomended to be washed using detergents, but rather with water only and using each tea vessel for one kind of tea (white, green, oolong, or black) or sometimes even one variety of tea only. It has the very high collection value.This Chinese tea cups are low, shallow and wide and very small by Western standards, like a tiny bowl that is just large enough for one or two sips. This emphasises the “quality over quantity” aspect.