Image from book page 351
Xū Biǎn Hú
Flat, fierce, and impossibly graceful.
The Xū Biǎn Hú is a masterpiece of contradiction — 'xu bian' literally means 'extremely flat,' and this teapot takes that challenge to its limit, squishing the classic round form into a wide, disc-like silhouette that somehow still manages to look elegant and balanced. It's one of the most technically demanding shapes in the Yixing tradition, requiring a skilled hand to coax the clay into such a low, sweeping form without cracking or warping. The example here is tied to the legendary master Gu Jingzhou, one of the greatest Zisha artists of the 20th century, making it a rare and precious piece.
The Xū Biǎn Hú is famously difficult to make — its ultra-low profile means the clay must be worked with exceptional precision, and even master potters consider it one of the ultimate tests of skill in the Yixing craft.