Wine 'chicken' cup

Reference to and reverence for the past are enshrined in the Chinese artistic tradition. Just as painters sought to achieve the lofty ideals of earlier masters, so potters sought to emulate the refined achievements of their predecessors. This exquisite wine cup demonstrates that the extraordinarily fine porcelains of the Chenghua period (1467-87) of the Ming dynasty were a natural source of inspiration for the technically accomplished potters of the early Qing. In all respects the vessel emulates its Chenghua precursors. The perfection of the almost miniature form is matched by the quiet refinement of the underglaze blue decoration and the subtle exuberance of the overglaze enamels. The 'doucai' technique, meaning 'contending' or 'contrasting colours', juxtaposes the bright but transparent enamel colours- in this case red, green, yellow, turquoise and pale aubergine with the softer tone of the underglaze blue.

Art Gallery Handbook, 1999. pg. 257.