THREE BLUE AND WHITE 'LOVE CUPS'

CHONGZHEN PERIOD, CIRCA 1643

Details

THREE BLUE AND WHITE 'LOVE CUPS'
CHONGZHEN PERIOD, CIRCA 1643
Each deep cup has a slightly flaring rim and is decorated on the exterior with a couple in various erotic positions. Each base bears an apocryphal Chenghua mark.
2 5/8 in. (6.8 cm.) high

Provenance

The Property of Captain Michael Hatcher; Christie's Amsterdam, 14 March 1984, lot 255.
Collection of Julia and John Curtis.

Literature

Colin Sheaf and Richard Kilburn, The Hatcher Porcelain Cargoes, The Complete Record, London, 1988, p. 79, col. pl. 120; p. 67, pl. 100.

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Margaret Gristina

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Lot Essay

It is interesting to note that these were the only cups of their type included in the Hatcher Cargo. Perhaps they were a private purchase made by one of the Chinese traders, or a 'sample' to gauge interest for future orders at the markets in Batavia or Bantam.

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