Dayazhai Enamel Lotus Seed Cup

The Enamel Lotus Seed Cup with Longevity and Fortune Design is a collaborative work by several masters, including Master Zhang Jian, a renowned overglaze gold-painting artist from Jingdezhen.

The bats painted in iron-red on the outer wall are a traditional auspicious pattern, symbolizing boundless blessings. A scrolling floral pattern surrounds the auspicious character for longevity.

May you enjoy long life and happiness.

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 blue ground has a light green glaze with a soft luster.

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

The character for longevity, bat motifs, and intertwined branches together symbolize continuous blessings and long life.

Enamel:
Besides the intricate and exquisite painting, the Guyuexuan Palace Lantern Pot requires four firings in the kiln to be completed, 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 was a product of the peak period of ancient Chinese polychrome porcelain craftsmanship.