White Porcelain Octagonal Water Dropper with Butterfly Design and Inscription of a Poem in Underglaze Cobalt Blue and Iron

This white porcelain water dropper has an octagonal shape with a flat top surface and eight straight, perfectly-proportioned sides. At the bottom of the eight corners are eight small feet that support the body. There is a hole at the center of its upper surface through which water is poured, and a spout attached to one of the edges. A butterfly motif is painted on the top surface in cobalt blue and iron underglaze, while a quatrain with seven Chinese characters for each line is painted on the eight sides in alternating cobalt blue and iron underglaze. The surface is coated with a clear, pale blue glaze with a subtle luster, and there are no visible crackles. This water dropper, with its exquisitely rendered designs in cobalt blue and iron underglaze and intricate brushwork, is an exceptional work of art that exhibits a harmonious beauty in its shape, decorative motif and poem, as well as providing a glimpse into scholarly life of the 18th century.