Iron-red Ice Plum Palace Lantern Pot

The palace lantern (tribute lantern) shape originated in the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty. The prototype is a lantern with a flat lid, straight neck, three-bend spout, and handle like a silver hook ready to be released. The shape is fresh and natural, with an elegant charm.

The iron-red plum blossom pattern tea caddy was created collaboratively by several masters of Jingdezhen overglaze enamel and gold-leaf technique, including Zhang Jian. Plum blossoms are the ultimate embodiment of aloofness and purity, and this iron-red plum blossom pattern tea caddy is a refreshingly innovative work in this style.

Its design features ice-crack patterns painted in pure gold on a reddish-brown ground, with plum blossoms depicted among them. The red, white, green, and gold colors complement each other, making the plum blossoms, which are in full bloom and exude fragrance, stand out even more. The plum blossom pattern, which is described as "a thousand flowers daring to bloom in the snow," is perfectly combined with the ice-crack pattern, which is considered the best. It has a strong literati style.

The plum blossom pattern, with its icy and jade-like texture, best embodies the noble spirit of the plum blossom and the winter scenery !

The appearance of the ice-plum blossom pattern, symbolizing a pure and noble spirit, during the Kangxi era was no accident: Kangxi ascended the throne at the age of 8 and assumed personal rule at 14 , and he had a great fondness for plum blossoms. His fascination with porcelain led him to go beyond simple imitation and reproduction of traditional plum blossom decorations. Ultimately, he combined the effect of the monochrome crackle glaze of official kilns with individual plum blossoms, creating a unique and beautiful decorative pattern — the ice-plum blossom pattern! Amidst the crackling ice, plum blossoms bloom!

From then on, the ice plum blossom pattern became very popular, appearing on windows, floors, screens, and even people's clothing.