The exact designation "多彩水平壶" literally reads as “multicolored (polychrome) horizontal teapot.” Because that phrasing is not an established, widely documented canonical form name, the identification is somewhat ambiguous — it most likely refers to a teapot whose body and decoration emphasize a horizontal, low-profile silhouette and which is decorated in multicolored enamel or slip.
Brief history: Polychrome decoration (多彩) on Chinese ceramics has long roots, reaching a peak with overglaze enamel palettes such as fencai (famille-rose) developed in Jingdezhen during the Qing dynasty (18th century) and later applied to a wide range of vessels. Horizontal or low-profile teapots and side-handled designs have also been produced in both porcelain and unglazed clays (including Yixing ware) for centuries, and were periodically reinvented for regional tastes and export markets. In later 19th–20th century workshops and modern studios, potters combined traditional shapes with vibrant polychrome glazing or painted surfaces, producing pieces described in contemporary terms like “multicolored horizontal teapot.”
Shape note: A “horizontal” teapot typically presents a squat, elongated body with its spout and handle aligned along a lateral axis, yielding a stable, low center of gravity and a calm, linear silhouette. The multicolored surface treatment highlights the teapot’s contours and makes it as much a decorative object as a functional brew vessel.
Wood-fired handmade Yixing teapot made from Duanni clay sourced from the original Huanglongshan mine. Xu Shun Wei.
