Teapot 01 — 圆壶 Yuanhu — Rounded teapot

We acquired this collection from our old friend Zhang Tao, who personally purchased the teapots in Yixing and brought them to Canada in 2014. Their exact production dates are unknown; we believe they were probably made in the late 1990s or early 2000s. This is an estimated production period, not a documented date. Every piece is unique, with its own individual character and surface variations.

• Capacity: 220 mL
  
• Collection: Yixing Ancient Dragon Kiln Zisha
• Rounded body narrowing towards the base
• Short rising spout; rounded loop handle

The shape

圆壶 Yuanhu — Rounded teapot

A full shoulder, narrowing lower body and modest domed cover make 圆壶 (yuanhu, round teapot) the most defensible Chinese catalog name. The Palace Museum also uses plain round-pot terminology in its collection records. Unlike no. 5, the outline is not a continuous upright egg; unlike the pronounced Duoqiu examples, the lid does not form a strongly separate upper sphere. The evidence does not support narrowing this piece to Xishi or Wendan. [CN1]

The story of the dragon kiln

In Dingshu Town (丁蜀镇), Yixing, Jiangsu, the Qianshu Ancient Dragon Kiln (前墅古龙窑) stretches up a hillside like a resting dragon. Dating to the Ming dynasty, its long firing chamber follows the slope: the incline encourages a natural draft, carrying heat upwards as fuel is fed through openings along the sides. It belongs to the landscape that nurtured Yixing’s purple-clay (紫砂) pottery culture.

The kiln is 43.4 metres long and was designated a nationally protected cultural site in 2006. Its history includes everyday pottery—basins, jars and other useful vessels—not only teapots. The local ceramic association calls it 活着的文物, a “living cultural relic.” Continued traditional firing preserves both the structure and the skills of the people who tend it. [K1] [K2]

In wood firing, the path of the flame, the atmosphere and deposits from the fuel can contribute to differences in colour and surface. These variations are part of the story supplied for this collection. A photograph alone cannot establish the exact firing conditions of an individual pot.

Sources:

1. CN1. 故宫博物院：紫砂小圆壶 — Palace Museum, small round zisha teapot.
2. S1. British Museum, teapot, museum no. 2013,3007.367.
3. K1. Yixing Ceramic Industry Association, “前墅龙窑”.
4. K2. Yixing Municipal Government / Yixing Daily, “宜兴前墅龙窑获评‘国家工业遗产’,” 31 October 2025.