Craft: Polychrome five-color porcelain
Specifications: 110ml capacity, height 7.1cm, diameter 7.2cm at rim
This pair of cups replicates the ancient style of the imperial Yongzhong Cup made during the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty. Featuring an elegant flared rim, gentle curved belly and delicate neat ring foot, it exudes antique charm when held in hand. With an ideal capacity, it is perfect for brewing oolong tea, retaining and enriching tea aroma, serving both tea tasting and collection purposes. The original Kangxi imperial porcelain of the same design was auctioned at top-tier auction houses for 9.89 million RMB, regarded as a treasure among Kangxi five-colored porcelain cups painted with figure scenes.
Two classic chapters from The Romance of the Western Chamber are painted separately on the two cups. Matched as a pair, their scenes connect with each other and share the same artistic spirit.
The first cup depicts Huiming Delivers the Letter. The warrior monk Huiming wears blue robes and black boots, holding a staff with dignified bearing. Inside the courtyard, people lean against the door watching; Yingying stands quietly on the steps, head bowed gracefully. Zhang Sheng and monks bow to see Huiming off. The figures are arranged gracefully, with smooth and elegant lines of robes, depicting tender human feelings within a tiny space of porcelain.
The second cup depicts General White Horse Rescues the Temple. Sun Feihu wears battle armor, his helmet tassels fluttering in the wind, his white galloping horse full of momentum. General Duque sits steadily on his horse, his long beard flowing, calm and imposing without anger. Followers follow closely behind him. The interlocking composition balances movement and stillness, depicting chivalry with simple brushstrokes and profound artistic conception.
Following the ancient craftsmanship of Kangxi five-color porcelain, the cups are painted with carefully blended natural mineral pigments. Bright alum red remains refined instead of gaudy, malachite green appears calm and mild, with a glossy and plain glaze and layered and distant colors. The painter integrates the artistic conception of literati painting into porcelain decoration, abandoning the rigid style of print patterns. Fluent brush lines and elegant layered colors fully inherit the artistic style of imperial porcelain painting in the Kangxi era. Within the double blue circle at the cup bottom, the mark "Made in the Kangxi Reign of the Great Qing Dynasty" is imitated in regular script, strictly following the calligraphy rules of ancient imperial marks and full of antique flavor.
During the Kangxi reign, the imperial court cherished the literary grace of The Romance of the Western Chamber. The imperial kiln specially produced such porcelain cups painted with figure stories, and authentic surviving pieces are extremely rare and precious. Produced in a matched pair, this set of cups has coherent paintings on both pieces, with delicate and moist porcelain body. It can be used for daily tea brewing, developing a glossy patina over long-term use; it can also be displayed in elegant rooms, allowing people to cherish ancient art and preserve refined elegance in space.