A CHINESE IMPERIAL WUCAI 'APRICOT BLOSSOM' MONTH CUP

SIX CHARACTER JIAQING MARK AND OF THE PERIOD 1796-1820

The deep flaring body finely painted with a blossoming apricot tree growing amidst rocks and shrubs, the reverse with a poem reading qing xiang he su yu, jia se chu qing yan, the inscription followed by a seal reading shang ('to appreciate'), 6.7cm dia.

Provenance: from a deceased estate, Dorset, purchased from Artemesia, Alresford on 18th December 1997 for £200. A copy of the invoice is available.

Cf. The British Museum, London, registration no.PDF.815 for a complete set of twelve month cups from the Kangxi period; see also Sotheby's Hong Kong, 4th April 2012, lot 3179 for another Jiaqing mark and period cup of the same design.

Apricot blossoms are associated with the second month in the lunar calendar. As the civil service examinations were held at this time of year, apricot blossoms are regarded as the 'flowers for passing exams' and successful candidates were invited to a banquet held in the Imperial gardens called 'the spring banquet in the apricot grove'. The couplet is from a poem by Tang dynasty poet Qian Qi (710-780 AD) and may be translated as 'Its elegant fragrance blends with the scent of overnight rain, its beautiful colour stands out in the morning mist.'