The exact compound term "官帽水平壶" is not a widely standardized name in the sources I consulted, but it clearly combines two familiar elements in Chinese teapot vocabulary: 官帽 (guanmao, “official’s hat”) and 水平壶 (shuiping hu, literally “horizontal/level teapot”). Below is a cautious, general description based on those elements and the broader Yixing teapot tradition.
Description:
This form likely refers to a teapot whose lid or crown evokes the flat-brimmed shape of an official’s hat (guanmao) paired with a low, horizontally oriented body. Teapots with “official’s hat” motifs have been made in the Jiangsu/Yixing tradition since the late Ming and became especially popular among scholar-tea circles in the Qing period and later. Such forms prize restrained, elegant lines and subtle reference to classical dress or objects rather than overt ornament.
Shape note:
Expect a squat, wide profile with a lid whose rim or cap suggests a brimmed hat, a short horizontal spout and a compact handle that keep the silhouette low and stable. Usually executed in zisha (purple clay) or related Yixing clays, the shape emphasizes balance, a low center of gravity, quick heating, and suitability for gongfu-style brewing. Many modern artisans continue to reinterpret the motif.
Wood-fired handmade Yixing teapot made from Duanni clay sourced from the original Huanglongshan mine. Xu Shun Wei.
