Page 64 - The Parry Collection Bonhams London November 2 2021

Image courtesy of the Palace Museum, Beijing © The Trustees of the British Museum

Delicately potted porcelain cups, such as the present example, were The twelve flowers painted on the ‘Month cups’ were selected
known as ‘Month cups’ and were made at the Imperial kilns during following the traditions of the Flower Festival, which fell on the 15th
the Kangxi reign. These vessels were painted in underglaze-blue and day of the second month in the Chinese calendar, signifying the arrival
overglaze famille verte enamels in wucai style depicting individual of springtime and celebrated the birthday of all flowers. The Flower
flowers that designated each of the twelve months of the year. Festival was highly popular during the Qing dynasty. On this day,
people made coloured paper flowers or decorated trees and plants
The design format of these cups, incorporating a pictorial composition with coloured ribbons. Memorials were also erected for the Gods of
on one side and a poetic inscription ending in a seal mark on the other, Flowers and can still be found in the Summer Palace in Jehol, attesting
was inspired by the long tradition in classical painting and was an to the popularity of this festival amongst the members of the Qing
innovation of the Kangxi period. Court. It is thus possible that the ‘Month cups’ were employed during
the commemorative ceremonies for the Flower Gods.
The poems inscribed on the ‘Month cups’ are all couplets from Tang
dynasty poems. The Kangxi Emperor greatly admired Tang poems as A complete set of famille verte ‘Month cups’, Kangxi marks and period,
demonstrated in ordering the compilation of all recorded Tang poems in also including a very similar cup to the present example in the Qing
1705, on the 44th year of his reign. This project came into fruition under Court Collection, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures
the leadership of the official Cao Yin, when the ‘Complete Collection from the Palace Museum: Porcelains in Polychrome and Contrasting
of Tang Poems’ Quan Tangshu was published in 1706, including over Colours, Hong Kong, 1999, pp.152-153, no.140; another complete
40,000 poems and a foreword written by the Kangxi Emperor himself; set is in the Sir Percival David Collection, British Museum, London,
see R.Scott, For the Imperial Court. Qing Porcelain from the Percival illustrated by R.Scott, ibid., pp.82-83, no.23; and a further one is in
David Foundation of Chinese Art, New York, 1997, pp.82-83. It is thus the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, acc.no.50.145.267–.278.
likely that these delicate ‘Month cups’ decorated with poems favoured
by the Emperor, were made during the later period of the Kangxi reign, A related famille verte ‘lotus’ Month cup, Kangxi mark and period,
when the compendium of Tang poetry was published. was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 29 May 2013, lot 2257.

62 | BONHAMS