Ming-style horizontal teapot - small coal kiln red clay

The name "horizontal teapot" has an interesting origin. It comes from the practice of drinking Gongfu tea in the South China region. When brewing Gongfu tea, a small teapot is filled with a lot of tea leaves, boiling water is poured in, and the lid is closed. Because the teapot is small and there are many tea leaves, the amount of boiling water poured in is small, and the tea flavor is not easily extracted. Therefore, clever tea masters in Fujian and Guangdong placed the teapot in a tea tray or tea bowl to speed up the extraction of tea flavor, and then repeatedly poured boiling water over the surface of the teapot to make the tea flavor easier to extract.

Because of the practice of heating teapots by pouring boiling water over them to speed up the brewing process, it was discovered that some small teapots occasionally float upright and stable in hot water, without tilting or falling over, just like a level surface. Hence, they are called "level teapots".

Zisha horizontal teapots existed as early as the Ming and Qing dynasties, but were only occasionally made by artisans, with simple styles and shapes. The most representative example is the "Zhu Ni Xiaopin" made by Hui Mengchen, a master teapot artist from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Its shape is simple and unadorned, its workmanship is exquisite and meticulous, and its clay selection is exquisite, but the shape of the work does not vary much.

In terms of functionality and manufacturing process, the spout of a horizontal teapot is mostly straight, with a relatively large base for the spout, resulting in a smooth pour. Traditional styles of Zisha horizontal teapots include the standard horizontal, the round horizontal, the hot water ladle horizontal, and the ladle horizontal. In recent years, exquisite mixed horizontal teapots have also emerged, with beautiful shapes, meticulous craftsmanship, and dense texture, which are highly appreciated by Zisha teapot enthusiasts.

Horizontal teapots are generally made of red clay because it is not easy to make large pieces with red clay, resulting in a relatively low success rate. However, red clay is excellent for making small pieces. Among red clays, the best is Da Hong Pao clay. Works made from this material are vermilion with reddish-brown hues and purple undertones, resembling blooming red roses, making them irresistible.