Xu Sihai (left), a master zisha teapot maker, donates his work to deputies of the Shanghai World Expo Coordination Bureau on Wednesday, October 28, 2009. [Photo: xinhuanet.com]

Eighteen teapots especially designed for the upcoming World Expo were unveiled in Shanghai on Wednesday, the Xinhuanet.com reports.

More pottery will be produced according to the patterns of the 18 teapots and presented to Expo guests from both home and abroad as gifts.

Xu Sihai, a famous master zisha teapot maker, designed the teapots for the Shanghai World Expo. His designs combine traditional craftsmanship with typical elements of Shanghai and the World Expo, such as "xiao long bao" (small steamed buns), a tasty Shanghai snack, and the Expo mascot Haibao, the report said.

Zisha, which literally means "purple sand", is a kind of extra-fine clay found in eastern China's Jiangsu Province. Teapots made of zisha are considered valuable handicrafts.

The display showcasing the 18 teapots will be opened to the public for one week, the report said.