Small doucai chicken cup, Qing dynasty, Kangxi (1662 - 1722)

A small, very fine porcelain cup with rounded sides and a slightly open mouth. All the decoration is done in the '斗彩' (dòu cai) technique with overglaze glazes, green, red and yellow, and underglaze blue glaze, used for outlining and filling. On the base is a six-character mark, surrounded by a double square, Kangxi "大清康熙年制" in underglaze blue.

On the exterior depicts a continuous scene between lines and a double ring under the mouth, composed of roosters, hens and chicks among craggy rocks with vegetation, or else flowers. The "chicken cups" (鸡缸杯) originated in the Chenghua period and were so admired that they continued to be made until the Daoguang period. The Kangxi and Yongzheng period pieces were very successful, but show different glazes and styles from the originals.

Complete with a collector's silk box.

Height: 3.10 cm; Mouth diameter: 8 cm

Provenance: European private collection.