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Lot Essay
The poem on these dishes was composed by the Jiaqing Emperor who praises the pleasure of drinking tea. It appears on tea trays and teapots of different palettes. S.W. Bushell translates the poem in Oriental Ceramic Art, London, 1981, p. 239, as:
'Finest tribute tea of the first picking
And a bright full moon prompt a line of verse.
A lively fire glows in the bamboo stove,
The water is boiling in the stone griddle,
Small bubbles rise like ears of fish or crab.
Of rare Chi'i-ch'iang (Qi Qiang) tea, rolled into tiny balls,
One cup is enough to lighten the heart,
And dissipate the early winter chill.' A comparable pair of trays sold at Christie's London, 15 May 2012, lot 395 and a single tray sold at Christie's New York, 13-14 September 2012, lot 1475.
'Finest tribute tea of the first picking
And a bright full moon prompt a line of verse.
A lively fire glows in the bamboo stove,
The water is boiling in the stone griddle,
Small bubbles rise like ears of fish or crab.
Of rare Chi'i-ch'iang (Qi Qiang) tea, rolled into tiny balls,
One cup is enough to lighten the heart,
And dissipate the early winter chill.' A comparable pair of trays sold at Christie's London, 15 May 2012, lot 395 and a single tray sold at Christie's New York, 13-14 September 2012, lot 1475.