Spring Bud yixing clay woodfired teapot # 94830

The exact identity of the form called "春蕾壶" (literally "Spring‑Bud Teapot") is not universally fixed in the published typologies, so the following gives a cautious, general account based on the name and common Chinese teapot traditions.

Brief history: Poetic names for teapot models are a longstanding Chinese practice, especially among Yixing (zisha) makers from the late Ming into the Qing and modern periods. Small, hand‑worked teapots intended for gongfu tea developed many named variants—often inspired by plants, buds and blossoms—and were produced both as utilitarian wares and as connoisseur pieces. Throughout the 18th–20th centuries potters routinely named forms to evoke seasonality, literati taste, or the shape’s resemblance to natural motifs.

Shape note: A "Spring‑Bud" teapot would typically suggest a compact, bud‑like silhouette — rounded or ovoid body tapering toward the top, a gently domed lid with a knob resembling a nascent flower, a short refined spout and an elegant handle for balanced pouring. Surfaces may be smooth or lightly carved with floral motifs; many examples are rendered in zisha clay to emphasize form and tactile appeal.
Wood-fired handmade Yixing teapot made from Duanni clay sourced from the original Huanglongshan mine. Xu Shun Wei.