Monk's-cap pot
Traditional 僧帽壺
A family of pots whose raised rim and lid recall a monk’s cap. Rounded and faceted versions occur; the example pictured is one interpretation of the form.
On this page
- 1Knob
- 2Lid
- 3Spout
- 4Handle
- 5Body
- 6Base
Form#
- Knob
- 1lotus-bud or faceted treasure-pearl finial (佛珠鈕 / 寶珠鈕) rising on a short neck from the center of the recessed lid
- Lid
- 2flat five- or six-sided inset lid (嵌蓋 / 承蓋) hidden inside a standing five-petal lotus crown (五瓣蓮花冠帽沿) taller at the back and open toward the spout
- Spout
- 3short straight or duck-bill trough spout (鴨嘴流) emerging flush with the front opening of the crown
- Handle
- 4angular or ear-shaped loop handle (耳形鋬) with an upper thumb rest and a small lower pendant tab (垂耳)
- Body
- 5The family includes faceted and rounded bodies. Describe the number of faces and construction method for a particular example rather than treating one modern version as the universal form.
- Base
- 6six-faceted or circular ring foot (圈足)
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#
| Name | 中文 | Difference | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tall Hexagonal Monk's-cap (Gao Sengmao) | 明式高僧帽壶 | Early faceted form attributed to Shi Dabin (时大彬) and Li Zhongfang (李仲芳), inspired by Ming Xuande imperial porcelain Tibetan-Buddhist monk's-cap ewers; features a tall six-sided stepped body crowned by an upright cinco-foliate lotus-petal gallery (五瓣莲花冠) around the lid. | 124 |
| Low Monk's-cap (Ai Sengmao) | 矮僧帽壶 | Late-Qing and 20th-century compact hexagonal variant codified by Gu Jingzhou (顾景舟) and Pei Shimin, lowering the centre of gravity into a squat faceted trapezoid with a duck-bill channel spout (鸭嘴流) flush with the front lotus petal. | 145 |
| Round Lotus-petal Sengmao | 圆身莲瓣僧帽壶 | Wheel-assisted or round-beaten variant in which the six-petal lotus collar sits atop a smooth globular or pear-shaped body rather than a six-faceted prism (Bartholomew 1977 Cat. 9). | 23 |
History#
- Yuan to early MingThe silhouette originates in Jingdezhen qingbai and copper-red monochrome porcelain ewers (寶石紅僧帽壺) modeled on the five-lobed Vairocana ritual crown (毘盧帽) worn by Tibetan Buddhist lamas.13
- Ming, Wanli era (1597)Zhou Gaoqi's Yangxian Minghu Xi (c. 1640) records monk's-cap pots by Li Zhongfang (李仲芳) and Shi Dabin (時大彬). The 1990 K.S. Lo catalogue illustrates a lotus-crowned monk’s-cap pot, C81.506 (no. 4, p. 124). It records a Shi Dabin signature and a date corresponding to 1597. The date belongs to the inscription.2
- The Palace Museum’s purple-clay monk’s-cap pot, 故157129, measures 12.2 cm high, with a 6.3 cm mouth and 7.8 cm base diameter. Its description specifies a hexagonal lid, neck and base. These features describe this object, not every Sengmao pot. 故157129
- Modern Sengmao variants alter body height, shoulder width and the cap-like rim. Construction details and dimensions should be tied to a named, documented example rather than generalized across the family.
Attributions are shown as the source states them.
Sources#
- 顾见心舟-品茶啜茗当清风 (观复博物馆, 2025-03-08) ↗
- The Art of the Yixing Potter: The K.S. Lo Collection, Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware (茶具文物館羅桂祥珍藏宜興紫砂陶器, 1990)
- Terese Tse Bartholomew, I-Hsing Ware (1977)
- 顧景舟主編《宜興紫砂珍賞》 / Appreciation of Yixing Zisha Ware (1992)
- 贺云翱主编：《紫砂大师访谈录》
- 紫砂僧帽壶 · 故157129
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.
2026-11-05: revised after the homepage evidence audit. Historical attributions, model dimensions and practical guidance are distinguished; unresolved claims remain qualified. Earlier editorial conclusions are superseded by the current text.