Description:
A doucai (underglaze blue and overglaze polychrome enamels) stem cup with tuandie ("circled butterflies") pattern decorated the interior center and scrolling branches, flowers, and lotus petals on the exterior and the foot. Written in regular script, a single line of six Chinese characters inscribed on the inner foot, reading "Da Qing Yong Zheng Nian Zhi" (made in Da Qing (dynasty) Yongzheng period).

Label Text:
The shape of Chinese stem cups may have come from 7th-century metalwork, when China had close contact with Central Asia. Ceramic vessels of this shape started to emerge in China in the 13th century. The elegant floral decorations exemplify the famous doucai (“contrasting colors”) technique, which combines underglaze cobalt blue with overglaze enamels to create this particular visual effect.

(2015)

Tags:
vessels; cups

Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=MH+1936.7.Q.A

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