Teapot 11 — 德钟式 Dezhong-style — Bell-form cylinder

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, but we believe they were most likely made in the late 1990s or early 2000s. Every piece is unique, with its own individual character and surface variations.

• Capacity: 120 mL 
  
• Collection: Yixing Ancient Dragon Kiln Zisha
• Compact upright barrel-shaped body with gently rounded sides
• Short upward-angled spout and circular loop handle
• Slightly domed lid with spherical finial and a defined double rim
  

德钟式 Dezhong-style — Bell-form cylinder

The upright barrel-like body, defined neck and double-rimmed lid make 德钟 a more specific candidate than “small barrel.” Guangdong Museum records a Dezhong teapot under inventory no. 87007, confirming the name in museum usage; a specialist form description relates it to a bell-like straight-bodied vessel. This pot’s swollen sides and round finial are variations, so the identification remains Dezhong-style rather than a confirmed workshop title. [CN1] [CN2]

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. 

Sources and attribution

1. CN1. 广东省博物馆藏品目录：87007，2014年钱海霞制宜兴紫砂“德钟”壶 — Guangdong Museum collection inventory.
2. CN2. 美壶网：紫砂壶型德钟介绍 — specialist trade reference for form.
3. S1. British Museum, teapot, museum no. Franks.2450.
4. K1. Yixing Ceramic Industry Association, “前墅龙窑”.
5. K2. Yixing Municipal Government / Yixing Daily, “宜兴前墅龙窑获评‘国家工业遗产’,” 31 October 2025.