Coupe à vin en porcelaine de la famille rose Chine, dynastie Qing, marque et époque Qianlong (1736-1795)

à décor incisé et délicatement peint de rinceaux de lotus stylisés et feuilles d'acanthe sur un beau fond rubis rose, l'intérieur et la base émaillés blanc avec la marque zhuanshu à six caractères de l'empereur Qianlong en bleu sous couverte

Collection japonaise

Good condition. There is a tiny grounded flaw to the footrim and five tiny iron spots inside. The rim very slightly polished but otherwise in good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This fine winecup is a rare example of vessels of this type decorated in the sgraffiato technique. A cup of similar size but with almost straight sides, lipped rim and with a gilt interior, decorated in the same manner with the flower spray motif, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 28^th November 1979, lot 236, appears to be the closest comparable example to the present cup. See also a cup, with a four-character Qianlong reign mark and of the period, decorated with lotus flowers on an incised ruby-ground, from the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the museum's exhibition Stunning Decorative Porcelains from the Ch'ien-lung Reign, Taipei, 2008, cat. no. 9, together with a matching tray.  

The complex and laborious technique employed in the making of this vessel, where the design is reserved on a monochrome enamel ground which itself is structured by needle-point etching of endless scrolling fronds, is a Qianlong period innovation. It was often used as subsidiary design borders rather than being used for the main field of decoration as seen on the present cup. Examples of vessels decorated in the sgraffiato technique on similar ruby-ground were included in the exhibition ibid., cat.nos. 4, 5, 8, 10, 11 and 12. Related flower decoration on a ruby-ground also appears on a vase in the Umezawa Kinenkan, Tokyo, illustrated in Sekai toji zenshu, vol. 15, Tokyo, 1983, col. Pl. 230; and on a pear-shaped bottle in the Capital Museum, Beijing, published in Shoudu Bowuguan cang ci xuan, Beijing, 1991, pl. 155.