Page 156 - Metropolitan Museum Collection September 2016

921
A RARE AND UNUSUAL ‘MIRROR BLACK’-GLAZED STEM CUP

YONGZHENG SIX-CHARACTER MARK IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE A LINE AND OF THE PERIOD
(1723-1735)

The deep cup is raised on a wide pedestal foot, and is covered on the exterior with a deep
black glaze that has very faint traces of gilt decoration depicting a dragon chasing a faming
pearl. The reign mark is inscribed in a line inside the pedestal foot.
3¬ in. (9.2 cm.) high
$30,000-50,000

PROVENANCE

Robert West Collection.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, accessioned in 1950.
A nearly identical ‘mirror-black’-glazed stem cup, but with well-preserved dragon and cloud
decoration, is in the collection of the Palace Museum, Taipei, and is illustrated in Harmony
and Integrity: The Yongzheng Emperor and His Times, Taipei, 2010, p. 271, no. II-94. The
author states that gilt-decorated ‘mirror-black’-glazed stem cups were highly prized by
the Yongzheng Emperor. In the Account of Records in the Qing dynasty archives of the
Imperial Workshops, it notes that on the third month and 13th day of Yongzheng, the
offcial Hai Wang gave a similar cup to the Yongzheng Emperor. The text also states that
a ‘du sheng pan’ (a Western-style tray for scholar’s objects), was made in either wood or
lacquer, and contained sets of 12 or 18 cups.
清雍正 烏金釉描金雙龍趕珠紋高足盃 六字楷書橫款
來源
Robert West 珍藏。
紐約大都會藝術博物館，入藏於1950年。

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