JIAQING SEAL MARK IN IRON-RED AND OF THE PERIOD (1796-1820)

The elaborate floral decoration on this cup is known as wanhuajin (myriad flower brocade) or baihuadi (ground of one hundred flowers). According to T. T. Bartholomew in Hidden Meanings in Chinese Art, San Francisco, 2006, p. 146, this design was developed and popularized during the Qing dynasty and conveyed the hope that the dynasty “would last as long as flowers continue to bloom.” A more sparse version of the decoration first appears during the Yongzheng period (1723-1735), as represented by a small bowl in the Qing Court collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 39 - Porcelains with Cloisonne Enamel Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, Hong Kong, 1999, p. 18, no. 15. During the Qianlong period (1735-1796), the design evolved to exclude white space between the flowers and leaves, resulting in a dense, all-over composition.

The design remained popular under the Jiaqing Emperor (1796-1820) as evidenced by the present example. Compare two similar millefleurs cups with iron-red Jiaqing seal marks sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 October 2025, lot 1005, as well as another pair formerly in the collection of Dr. Chan Chi Chin, sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 9 April 2026, lot 3657.