Longdan
Traditional 龍蛋壺
A classic round teapot shape (圆器) whose tall, upright ovoid body tapers upward like a standing egg, paired with a short, wide-rooted conical spout ('fat-head spout'), an inverted or upright ear-loop handle, and a flush-fitting cap lid (截盖) topped with a small 珠 (pearl) or bridge knob.
On this page
- 1Knob
- 2Lid
- 3Spout
- 4Handle
- 5Body
- 6Base
Form#
- Body
- upright egg-shaped (ovoid) body, fuller at the lower belly and tapering continuously toward the mouth without a neck step12
- Spout
- short, straight conical tube with a broad base ('fat-head' 肥头短流) rising at an upward angle from the upper shoulder
- Handle
- round ear-shaped loop handle, slightly thicker at the upper attachment and tapering at the lower tail
- Lid
- flush-cut dome lid (截盖) whose outer curve continues the egg silhouette seamlessly into the crown
- Knob
- small round pearl knob, flattened bead, or low arched bridge knob
- Base
- narrow, slightly recessed concave base or low foot-ring
Working volume#
Use the volume to the intended fill level, rather than the exterior dimensions or shape name. Leave room for the leaves and lid, and choose cups or a serving pitcher that can receive a complete infusion. Two pots of the same named form may have very different working capacities.
Variants and sub-types#
Longdan (龍蛋壺, 'Dragon-Egg teapot'), described as early as Wu Meiding's 17th-century Yangxian Minghu Fu ('round as a dragon's egg' 圓似龍卵), has an upright ovoid body that tapers continuously into a flush-cut dome lid (jiegai 截蓋), paired with a short, wide-rooted conical 'fat-head' spout (肥頭短流).
| Variant | Egg Profile & Lid Cut | Tradition & Clay |
|---|---|---|
| Early-Qing Tall Yixing Longdan (明末清初高身龍蛋) | Tall upright egg silhouette with high centre of gravity; seamless flush-cut dome lid (截蓋) topped with a small spherical bead knob; short conical spout | Coarse-grained early Zini or Hongni with visible quartz/mica 砂感 (sand texture) |
| Chaozhou Fengxi Hand-Thrown Longdan (潮州楓溪手拉龍蛋壺) | Compact, thin-walled ovoid body thrown on the potter's wheel; slightly wider stable base and brisk short spout; shop seal stamped on base (e.g., 順德盛, 源茂) | Fine elutriated Fengxi red clay (楓溪紅泥), wheel-thrown and turned thin for high thermal responsiveness |
| Squat / Low-Belly Longdan (矮身 / 敦式龍蛋) | Fuller lower belly (垂腹) with a slightly broader foot ring and low arched bridge or flattened bead finial for easier lid pickup when hot | Yixing Zhuni or fine Zini |
History#
- Late Ming to early Qing (17th century)Egg-bodied zisha teapots with flush-cut lids (截盖) and short conical spouts emerged among early geometric round wares; Wu Mei-ding's 陽羨茗壺賦 (c. 1660s) describes round ovoid pots as 'round as a dragon's egg' (圆似龙卵).2
- Late Qing to Republic (c. 1860–1949)Became a signature shape of both Yixing and Chaozhou Fengxi workshops; Tang Jianhong and Chen Xiangbai (2021, Ch. 5 §4) document Republican-era Fengxi hand-thrown red-clay Dragon-Egg pots (such as the Shundesheng 顺德盛 shop-marked longdan pot collected by Wu Dingzhang).1
Sources#
- 李炳炎、林楠：《潮州茶器（1860—2020）》，暨南大学出版社，2022. ISBN 9787566832412.
Bibliographic correction: the library copy is by Li Bingyan and Lin Nan, Jinan University Press, 2022. The former authors, publisher, year and claim of a complete reading were incorrect. Correcting this record does not verify every inherited claim citing it; those claims require passage-level review.
- 徐秀棠、顾景舟《宜兴紫砂茶具概述》(1994)
Status and editorial notes sources cited
Sources are listed below. Their presence does not certify every claim; source-specific interpretations and unresolved questions are identified in the text. This page has not received independent expert approval.