Dayazhai Enamel Floral and Auspicious Cup

Tea-related matters in literature from ancient times to the present.

Tea culture has been ingrained in the Chinese people for five thousand years.

A Dream of Red Mansions, its pages filled with the fragrance of tea. Lin Zhixiao's wife smiled at Xiren and the others and said, "We should brew some tea." Xiren and Qingwen quickly replied with smiles, "We brewed a bowl of 'Daughter's Tea,' and we've already had two bowls. Please have a bowl, Madam. It's all ready."
Excerpt from Cao Xueqin's *Dream of the Red Chamber*

In reality, tea is also a material embodiment of the spirit of Chinese literati.

Wang Shijian, the magistrate of Fu'an County (now Fu'an City) in the third year of the Tongzhi reign, once wrote a couplet: "In the examination hall, we brew tea and drink a spoonful of sweet spring water; in the fairy pool, we divide bamboo and calm the ten thousand waves of the bitter sea" to express his determination not to be afraid of difficulties.

Modern masters such as Lao She, Lin Yutang, and the famous writer Sanmao were also experts in the art of tea.

"I am a true Chinese. I don't like coffee, cocoa, or beer, but I love tea."

With a good cup of tea, I can find contentment in observing all things in tranquility.

Excerpted from Lao She's "Miscellaneous Talks from the Studio of Many Rats"

"Observe all things in stillness and find contentment"—these seven short characters encapsulate the sentiments of countless writers and poets throughout history, regardless of triumph or despair.

Regardless of moving left or right, the peace in my heart is like the tea leaves in a bowl of clear tea, releasing a delicate fragrance as they rise and fall.

The enamel-painted floral and auspicious cup is a collaborative work by several masters of the Jingdezhen overglaze enamel and gold-painting technique, including Master Zhang Jian. The porcelain painting lines are as fine as hair, exhibiting extreme delicacy.

The bats painted in iron-red on the outer wall of the covered bowl are a traditional auspicious pattern, symbolizing boundless good fortune.

Good fortune continues:

Bats, also known as "auspicious omens," are considered by Confucianism to be auspicious signs that express the will of Heaven, such as the appearance of colorful clouds, favorable weather, double ears of grain, sweet springs, and the appearance of strange birds and animals.
The glaze is light green with a delicate sheen, and the surface has a soft luster.

vine pattern:
The exterior is painted with enamel-painted intertwined branches, with clear veins and graceful, dynamic foliage. The continuous structure of the branches and leaves symbolizes "endless life".

The bat motif and the intertwined vine motif together symbolize continuous good fortune.

Enamel:
Besides the intricate and delicate painting, the enamel-painted floral and auspicious cup requires four firings in the kiln to complete, each with its own risks.
Enamelware from the Qing Dynasty was originally intended for the enjoyment of emperors and empresses. Enamel is a special type of artificially fired pigment. Before the sixth year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign (1728), it had to be imported from Europe. After the sixth year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, the Qing Palace workshops were able to refine more than 20 kinds of enamel pigments themselves, which is a product of the peak period of ancient Chinese polychrome porcelain craftsmanship.