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  • The Chakra Teapot in Longpi black pottery with central circular aperture and hand-woven cane handle, handcrafted by the Tangkhul tribe in Manipur India, from WILLAGE
  • The Chakra Teapot shown in a styled setting with other Longpi black pottery pieces
  • Angled view of The Chakra Teapot showing the serpentinite stone body and woven cane handle detail
  • Close-up of The Chakra Teapot showing the central aperture and matte black finish polished with sahi tree leaves
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The Chakra Teapot — Longpi Black Pottery

$150.00
Shipping calculated at checkout.

A teapot with a circular aperture at its center — a form that turns a functional object into something closer to a small sculpture. Hand-molded from a paste of powdered serpentinite stone and brown clay, the body has the cool, dense weight of the material it's made from. The finish is a deep matte black, polished with the leaves of the local sahi tree — a traditional step that brings out the luster without using glaze or wax. The handle is wrapped in hand-woven cane, which is warm to the touch and gives the cool stone body a tactile counterpoint.

Longpi pottery is made by the Tangkhul tribe in the village of Longpi Khullen in the hills of Manipur, northeast India — a tradition dating back to the Neolithic period, roughly 10,000 BC. There is no potter's wheel. Every piece is shaped entirely by hand. The central aperture of this teapot requires real technical precision to execute without a wheel, which is part of why this form exists only in Longpi and nowhere else.

9.5 × 2.5 × 6 in (L × W × H) (approx. 24 × 6.4 × 15 cm) · 950 g · Serpentinite stone and clay body, hand-woven cane handle · Polished with sahi tree leaves · Dishwasher safe · Handcrafted in Longpi Khullen, Manipur, India

Dimensions

9.5 × 2.5 × 6 in (L × W × H) (approx. 24 × 6.4 × 15 cm)

Origin

India

MATERIALS

Serpentinite Stone ("Leshonlung") and Brown Clay, Hand-Woven Cane Handle

STORY

Longpi pottery is made by the Tangkhul tribe in the village of Longpi Khullen in the hills of Manipur, northeast India. The tradition dates back to the Neolithic period, roughly 10,000 BC, and has been practiced without a potter's wheel the entire time. Every piece is hand-molded using a paste of powdered serpentinite stone — called "leshonlung" in the local language — mixed with brown clay collected during the dry months. After firing, each piece is polished with the leaves of the local sahi tree to bring out the distinctive matte luster — no glaze, no wax, just leaves and hands. The stone content makes Longpi unusually durable and fully dishwasher safe. The exact proportions of stone to clay are knowledge passed down through generations of Tangkhul artisans and aren't written down anywhere. WILLAGE carries this collection because Longpi is exactly what we exist to elevate — indigenous craft with a direct, unbroken line to the people who make it.

Care Instructions

Dishwasher safe. Hand wash also acceptable with warm water and mild soap. The cane handle should be kept dry — wipe it down rather than submerging.

  • In stock

Preserve Traditional Craftsmanship and Generational Artistry

Made from locally sourced serpentinite stone and brown clay using no electricity, no machinery, and no synthetic materials. Every piece is hand-molded without a potter's wheel, then polished with leaves from the sahi tree — no glaze, no chemicals. Your purchase supports Tangkhul artisans in Longpi Khullen village preserving one of the oldest continuous pottery traditions on earth.

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