The Shuiping (“level” or “balanced”) form can be traced back to the late Ming and early Qing periods and is closely associated with the tradition of small Zhuni teapots used for Gongfu tea.

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Shuiping became one of the most widely produced standard commercial forms at Yixing’s state-owned Zisha factories. Together with pear-shaped teapots, it became an important brewing vessel in the Gongfu tea traditions of southern Fujian and Chaozhou.

A defining feature of the classic Shuiping is that the highest points of the spout, opening, and handle align along the same horizontal line. This example uses a sword-like straight spout, producing a direct and powerful pour.

It remains one of the classic teapot forms for Gongfu tea brewing.