Vessels of Encounter: Cultural Hybridity and the Global Life of Qing Export Handled Teapots

Handled teapots, known as <i>tiliang hu</i> in Chinese, represent a distinctive category within Chinese export porcelain that flourished between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. Designed with arched or side handles made of ceramic, metal, or bamboo, these vessels were produced primarily in Jingdezhen and Canton for overseas markets. Their forms combined functional adaptability with artistic hybridity, reflecting both Chinese craftsmanship and foreign aesthetic influence. Early examples exhibit geometric symmetry and restrained decoration, while later ones evolved into more organic, continuous, and self-similar shapes, as global demand and maritime trade expanded. Handled teapots not only served practical purposes in tea consumption but also acted as cultural ambassadors, merging Eastern and Western motifs—such as European coats of arms, Rococo curves, and Chinese auspicious symbols. Through these hybrid forms, they embodied a dialogue between technology, commerce, and identity. In the context of digital archaeology, handled teapots reveal how cross-cultural exchange and socio-technical systems shaped Qing-era porcelain morphology, offering insight into the global interconnectedness of material culture and aesthetic evolution.