Description
100% Hand-Painted Blue and White Porcelain Teacup: Underglaze Red Plum Blossom Ya Shou Cup
This extraordinary Ya Shou Cup (Hand-Pressing Cup) captures the poetry of a single branch of red plum blossoms against a white porcelain ground. Hand-thrown and 100% hand-painted in Jingdezhen, it combines underglaze blue branches with underglaze red blossoms in a composition that shifts from dense to sparse around the cup.
A Composition That Recedes: From Dense to Sparse
This cup is unique in its three-sided design, which moves from abundance to emptiness around the body. On one side, red blossoms crowd densely among interlaced blue branches, leaving almost no white space. Turn the cup, and a single branch stretches across the body with fewer flowers, revealing large areas of white glaze. Turn again, and only one or two slender twigs remain, with just two or three blossoms and a few buds—the rest is empty white. On a single cup, the plum blossoms shift from dense to sparse, as if a branch of plum is being pushed gently into the distance.
Bold Brushwork: Blue Branches, Round Red Blooms
The blue branches are painted with bold, expressive strokes—thick in places, with visible pauses at the turns, not overly refined. The red plum blossoms are plump and rounded, with dark dots marking their centers. Both the underglaze blue and underglaze red are fired together at high temperatures, making the decoration permanent and safe for daily use.
Form and Interior Simplicity
The cup features the iconic Ya Shou profile: a flared rim, tapering sides, and a small recessed foot. Designed to rest perfectly in the hand, the rim presses gently against the webbing between the thumb and index finger (the “tiger’s mouth”). The interior is almost entirely plain, with no rim decoration—only a single plum branch painted at the bottom.
Dimensions & Capacity
- Diameter: 3.54 inches (9 cm)
- Height: 1.97 inches (5 cm)
- Full Capacity: 3.4 fl oz (100 ml)
- Ideal Brewing Capacity: 2.0 – 2.4 fl oz (60–70 ml)
Artisan Craftsmanship & Unique Collectability
- 100% Hand-Painted: Entirely hand-painted, not transfer-printed, ensuring every stroke is unique.
- Carved Seal Mark: A four-character square seal mark in underglaze blue is carved into the base, a signature of its Jingdezhen origin.
- One-of-a-Kind: This specific piece is truly unique. Only one available.
Whether you are a seasoned collector of Chinese ceramics or a daily tea drinker seeking a special piece, this one-of-a-kind underglaze red plum blossom teacup brings the rich heritage of Jingdezhen to your tea table.
