Antique Chinese & Japanese PorcelainEuropean Ceramics & Works of Art
Chinese blanc de chine libation cup, Kangxi (1662-1722), with flared rim, on a moulded foot in the form of twisted branches, with applied boughs of flowering prunus and magnolia
Dimensions:
Height: 6.2cm. (2 3/8in.)
Condition:
Restored foot, two restored chips to rim
Notes:
For illustrated examples of similar blanc de chine cups see Ayers, John (2016). Chinese and Japanese Works of Art in the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen (Vol I) Royal Collection Publications, p.73, pl.112-125.
Traditionally, libation cups were used as communal drinking vessels at important ceremonial occasions. The magnolia decoration and white body of this cup symbolises purity and beauty; magnolias were traditionally grown in Tang Buddhist temples where they flowered every spring. Along with prunus, they represent the start of spring after a long cold winter.
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