QING DYNASTY (1644-1911) OR EARLIER

Details

A WHITE-GLAZED CUP STAND
QING DYNASTY (1644-1911) OR EARLIER
The stand is finely potted with a cup with rounded sides set in the center of a dish-shaped flange raised on a spreading pedestal foot, and is covered in a creamy white glaze.
3 3/8 in. (8.3 cm.) high

Provenance

Mrs. Samuel T. Peters (1859-1943) Collection.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, accessioned in 1926.

Special notice

This lot is offered without reserve.

Brought to you by

Margaret Gristina (葛曼琪) Senior Specialist, Head of Private sales, Chinese Works of Art, New York

asianartny@christies.com +1 212 636 2180

Lot Essay

The function of the cup stand is very similar to that of a saucer. As the steaming cups and bowls of tea have no handles, they are placed on stands when served or passed around, so as not to burn the fingers. In addition, they had a decorative purpose and were used as part of the presentation of the tea ceremony.

Delicately potted cups and stands of this type were a very popular product of the Jingdezhen kilns during the Song dynasty and have been excavated from a number of Song dynasty tombs.

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