Shuiping Yixing Teapot: Shape, Origin and 9 Real Examples

September 24, 2026

Shuiping Yixing teapot in Dahongpao clay, 100 ml

The Shuiping (水平) — literally "level" — is the small, light, thin-walled Yixing teapot that gongfu tea drinkers reach for every day. Its name comes from its defining rule: the tip of the spout, the rim of the mouth and the top of the handle all sit on one level line. A well-made Shuiping is balanced so precisely that it can float upright in hot water without tipping.

This guide explains that rule, where the shape comes from, and what our nine Shuiping look like in practice. All nine are listed at the end.

What defines the shape

Small, flat-round and thin. The body is compact and slightly flattened, with thin walls that make the pot light in the hand.

The "three flats". The spout opening, the rim and the top of the handle are level with each other, and the spout, knob and handle line up in one straight line. This is the heart of the shape.

Side view of a Shuiping teapot showing spout tip, rim and handle top on one level — No. 134 — Shuiping, Hei Duntou clay, 200 ml, by Fan Weibing. Check the spout tip, the rim and the top of the handle against one horizontal line.

Pressed-in lid and bead knob. The lid sits tight and flat against the rim, topped by a flat-round bead knob.

Short straight spout, thick at the root. The spout is short and straight, broad where it meets the body, with its opening facing upward. That wide root is what gives a Shuiping its brisk pour.

Close-up of the short straight spout of a Zhuni Shuiping teapot — No. 328 — Shuiping, Zhuni clay, 80 ml. The spout is broad at the root and its opening faces up.

An ear-shaped ring handle completes the pot.

Where it comes from

The Shuiping is dated to the late Ming and early Qing. The form itself is a traditional one with no single inventor, but it is most closely linked to the potter Hui Mengchen, whose small zhuni pots were so representative that the Shuiping is also called a "Mengchen pot".

Sizes and clays: sources vs our catalogue

Sources say the Shuiping is usually made in zhuni (red clay), and that its size is counted in cups — six cups is about 80 ml, eight cups about 100 ml — with most examples under 150 ml.

Our nine match that closely. They run from 70 to 200 ml with a median of 100 ml, and eight of the nine hold 150 ml or less. Six are in red clays: four in Zhuni, one in Dahongpao and one in Hongpilong.

70 ml Zhuni Shuiping teapot held in hand — No. 436 — Shuiping, Zhuni clay, 70 ml. Our smallest — roughly a five-to-six-cup pot.

140 ml Jiangponi Shuiping teapot held in hand — No. 110 — Shuiping, Jiangponi clay, 140 ml, by Gu Peijun.

How to check a Shuiping

Side view, level with the pot. Hold a straight edge — or just your eye — across the spout tip, rim and handle top. They should line up.

Weight and balance. The pot should feel light for its size, and should not tip toward the spout or the handle when you set it down.

The pour. Thanks to the broad spout root, water should come out quickly and cut off cleanly.

Zhuni Shuiping teapot pouring tea into a glass pitcher — No. 328 — Shuiping, Zhuni clay, 80 ml.

Inside. Ask for a photo of the filter behind the spout.

Inside a Golden Duanni Shuiping teapot — No. 366 — Shuiping, Golden Duanni clay, 90 ml.

Decorated Shuiping

The classic Shuiping is a plain form, but the small body also takes decoration well. Two of ours are decorated: one with enamel, one carved.

Zhuni Shuiping teapot with enamel decoration, seen from above — No. 238 — Shuiping, Zhuni clay, 130 ml.

Carved Shuiping teapot in Hongpilong clay — No. 337 — Shuiping, Hongpilong clay, 120 ml.

All 9 Shuiping pots in our catalogue

Every pot below has a full photo set on its product page. Click a number to see photos, price and availability.

No.	Variant (as recorded)	Clay	Capacity	Craft	Maker
238	Shuiping	Zhuni	130 ml	Hand-finished with enamel decoration	Workshop potter (unnamed)
110	Shuiping	Jiangponi	140 ml	Fully handmade	Gu Peijun
215	Shuiping	Dahongpao	100 ml	Fully handmade	Men Jing
328	Shuiping	Zhuni	80 ml	Fully handmade	Workshop potter (unnamed)
337	Shuiping	Hongpilong	120 ml	Hand-carved	Workshop potter (unnamed)
134	Shuiping	Hei Duntou	200 ml	Fully handmade	Fan Weibing
366	Shuiping	Golden Duanni	90 ml	Fully handmade	Workshop potter (unnamed)
393	Tall Shuiping	Zhuni	100 ml	Fully handmade	Workshop potter (unnamed)
436	Shuiping	Zhuni	70 ml	Fully handmade	Workshop potter (unnamed)