Although yixings have thousands different forms and shapes, Shui Pin has been the “evergreen” favorite of collectors. In fact, many collectors think their collections “starting with Shui Pin, and ending with Shui Pin”. But what exactly is Shui Pin? Some people think Shui Pin means this style/shape only, but in fact it can mean several different styles that all follow the same concept.
Shui Pin: the original meaning is “water level”. It’s the tool we are still using nowadays to check if a plane or line is perfectly parallel to the ground. In yixing, they use this term to refer to the concept that “three points on one line”. Which three? The top of spout, the top opening of the body, and the top of handle. The picture below illustrates the Shui Pin Line best :
The importance of Shui Pin is that it gives the teapot the most comfortable balance when holding and pouring. Because of the shrinkage of clay during firing, to keep a good shui pin line is usually considered as one of the measures of craftsmanship of a piece.
Sometimes people confuse the word “Shui Pin” and “Biao Zhun” teapots. Simply speaking, Shui Pin is a concept. But it later become widely used to refer to a family of yixings that No. 1 factory started to produce since 60’s: the “Biao Zhun” teapots.
Biao Zhun: the original meaning is Standard. Yes, these were “standardized” teapots that No. 1 factory produced in great quantity. It was inspired by the shui pin teapots in Early R.O.C. (pic source: No. 2, Hu Yi magazine of Wu-Shin Publ. Co.)
No. 1 factory standardized the clay/size/shape/seal based on the highly-functional early teapots and rolled out the series of Biao Zhun teapots.
Later the Biao Zhun family were joined with five unique members (Wu-Shin teapots): Bai Le, Xi Shi, Bian Deng, Rou Bian, and Tai Jian. Some of them are quite familiar to us: Bai Le and Xi Shi. Some are rare to see nowadays, especially Rou Bian and Tai Jian.
So you may hear people calling “Xi Shi Shui Pin”, or “Bai Le Biao Zhun”. So now you won’t be confused by them : )
Guang