A RARE WUCAI 'MONTH' CUP
Kangxi six-character mark and of the period
Exquisitely potted with deep rounded sides rising from a short foot to a flared rim, delicately enamelled around the exterior with a red-flowering peach tree with small blossoms among scant leaves, representing the third month, the reverse inscribed in underglaze blue with a poem followed by a seal mark reading shang (appreciation). 6.5cm (2 1/2in) diam.
Footnotes:
清康熙 五彩「桃花」花神杯
青花「大清康熙年製」楷書款

Provenance: T.Y.King Jr., Hong Kong
Bluett & Sons Ltd., London, acquired from the above on 7 February 1965
Allan D. Pilkington, acquired from the above on 15 November 1965
Bluett & Sons Ltd., London, 11 June 1969
John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023), London, collection no.5

來源： T.Y.King Jr.，香港
倫敦古董商Bluett & Sons Ltd.，1965年2月7日從上處獲得
Allan D. Pilkington，於1965年11月15日從上處獲得
倫敦古董商Bluett & Sons Ltd.，1969年6月11日
大英帝國官佐勳章獲勳人John E. Bodie(1930-2023)，倫敦，藏品編號5

The present month cup, is one of a pair acquired by John E. Bodie from Bluett's. The other cup was sold at Sotheby's London, 6 November 2019, lot 149. Allan D. Pilkington was an active buyer from Bluett's between 1950 and 1962. For more information, see D.Jellinek and R.Davids, Provenance: Collectors, Dealers & Scholars in the Field of Chinese Ceramics in Britain and America, Oxford, 2011, pp.356-357.

During the Kangxi reign, the Imperial kilns crafted 'Month cups', so called because each corresponded to a lunar month. These cups boasted an exceptionally thin wall, allowing the cobalt blue exterior decoration to subtly permeate the eggshell porcelain. Variations in size, colour, calligraphy, and markings among these cups suggest they may have been produced individually and assembled into sets later.

The inscriptions on these cups feature couplets from Tang dynasty poems, reflecting the Kangxi Emperor's admiration for Tang poetry. This admiration culminated in the 1705 compilation of all recorded Tang poems, supervised by the official Cao Yin and endorsed by the Kangxi Emperor himself. Given this historical context, it is probable that these intricate 'Month cups', embellished with the Emperor's favoured verses, were crafted towards the end of the Kangxi reign, coinciding with the publication of the Tang poetry compendium.

Each cup is adorned with specific floral motifs, often accompanied by an appropriate seasonal couplet from a Tang poem. The inscription on the present cup reads:

'The swallow returns when the blossoms sway in the breeze,
it is the season in late Spring when farmers return to their fields.'

The twelve flowers depicted individually on 'Month cups' adhered to the traditions of the Flower Festival, a cherished event held on the 15th day of the second month in the Chinese calendar. This festival, which marked the onset of Spring and honoured the birthday of all flowers, enjoyed immense popularity during the Qing dynasty. Celebrants would create colourful paper flowers, adorn trees and plants with ribbons, and erect memorials for the Gods of Flowers. Given the festival's significance within the Qing Court, it is conceivable that the 'Month cups' played a role in the ceremonial observances dedicated to the Flower Gods.

A complete set of famille verte 'Month cups', Kangxi marks and period, also including a very similar cup to the present example in the Qing Court Collection, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures from the Palace Museum: Porcelains in Polychrome and Contrasting Colours, Hong Kong, 1999, pp.152-153, no.140; another complete set is in the Sir Percival David Collection, British Museum, London, illustrated by R.Scott, For the Imperial Court: Qing Porcelain from the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, New York, 1997, pp.82-83, no.23; and a further one is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, acc.no.50.145.267–.278.

See a very rare famille verte 'lotus' month cup, Kangxi six-character mark and of the period, which was sold at Bonhams London, 2 November 2021, lot 21. Another famille verte month cup, Kangxi six-character mark and of the period, was sold in the same sale, lot 23.

In good condition overall; the shape of the mouth rim slightly ovoid; two very minor blobs beneath the mouth rim in the interior; very minor firing imperfections and very minor general surface wear.