清乾隆 粉彩御題詩雞缸盃 《大清乾隆仿古》款 「乾」、「隆」印

詩文：李唐越器人間無，趙宋官窰辰星看。殷周鼎彜世頗多，堅脆之質於焉辨。堅樸脆巧久蹔分，立德踐行義可玩。朱明去此弗甚遙，宣成雅具時猶見。寒芒秀采總稱珍，就中雞缸最為冠。牡丹麗日春風和，牝雞逐隊雄鷄絢。金尾鐵距首昂藏，怒勢如聽賈昌喚。良工物態肖無遺，趨華風氣隨時變。我獨警心在齊詩，不敢耽安興以晏。

The cup is in overall very good condition except for a slight polish along the mouthrim.
"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."

From its first appearance on porcelains of the Chenghua period of the Ming dynasty, this charming motif of a cockerel, hen and chicks enjoyed continued popularity at court, especially during the Yongzheng and Qianlong reigns. While the form and illustration altered markedly from the prototype, the Qianlong fanggu mark (‘Exemplifying antiquity during the Qianlong Reign of the Great Qing Dynasty’) and the poetic inscription clearly reflect the Qianlong Emperor’s admiration for the Ming dynasty prototypes.

Cups of this type are more commonly known with an underglaze-blue Qianlong fanggu seal mark on the base, such as a pair of cups in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the Museum’s Special Exhibition of K’ang-hsi, Yung-cheng and Ch’ien-lung Porcelain Ware from the Ch’ing Dynasty in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1986, cat. no. 144; one included in the exhibition Selected Ceramics from the Collection of Mr and Mrs J.M. Hu, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, 1989, cat. no. 64; another included in the exhibition Joined Colours, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., 1993, ct. no. 64; and two cups from the Sir Percival David collection and now in the British Museum, London, published in the Illustrated Catalogue of Qing Enamelled Wares, London, 1991, pl. A823 and A827.

The poem written on the this cup, which was composed by the Qianlong Emperor in 1776, identifies the boy as Jia Chang (b. AD 713), a child prodigy who began training at the age of thirteen to fight cocks for the Xuanzong emperor (AD 713-56). The boy is painted on tiptoe, possibly to form the rebus qiao zu er dai, meaning ‘to expect something to be soon forthcoming’.