CHINA 18th century, mark and period QIANLONG (1735-1796) Rare... Lot 283

CHINA 18th century, mark and period QIANLONG (1735-1796) Rare pair of porcelain tea cups with iron-red enamelled decoration of a frieze of ruyi heads iron-red enamelled decoration of a frieze of ruyi heads underlining the opening and the foot of each of the cups, and framing in iron-red kaishu characters on a white background the poem "Sanqing cha" by the Qianlong emperor as well as two seals, Qian and Long. The poem celebrates Sanqing tea, otherwise known as the "Tea of the Three Purities", created by the emperor The poem celebrates Sanqing tea, otherwise known as the "Three Purity Tea", created by the emperor from three ingredients: plum blossom, Buddha's hand (digested lemon) and pine nuts. These three ingredients are represented in the central medallion of each cup, encircled by a frieze of ruyi heads. The end of the poem bears the date of the spring of the Bingyin year (1746) of the Qianlong emperor's reign. On the base of each of the cups, six-character iron-red enamel mark in zhuanshu. "Da Qing Qianlong nian zhi". Diameter : 10,5 cm H. 4.5 and 5 cm Small chip on the neck of one of the cups, and small restoration and two small cracks on the other, iron red shaded between each of the cups. "Empty Vessels, Replenished Minds: The Culture, Prac- tice, and Art of Tea". The decoration inside the two cups may be similar or different. The similar decoration was made in 1746 and then a different decoration was made in 1759. This same pair of cups also exists in blue and white porcelain. Similar models in porcelain Sotheby's Hong Kong sale Fine Chinese Ceramics Works of Art, April 11, 2008 - lot 3062 Similar model in cinnabar lacquer Sale Baron Ribeyre Millon, Collection Gérard Lévy, December 15, 2016 - lot 359 experts Cabinet Ansas Papillon The translation made of the poem on the lacquer model is repeated on the porcelain cups identically as follows: It was in the 11th year of his reign (1746), on the way to the re- tour of a trip to the Wutaishan, a sacred site of Buddhism, that Qianlong invented the Sanqing cha. Having stopped in the town of Dingxing, in snowy weather, he created the tea from ingredients he found there, melting the snow, symbol of purity, to prepare it. symbol of purity, to prepare it. In the same year, he wrote the poem, which can be found in the 36th volume of the Emperor's Poems. The first part of the poem explains how to prepare tea from the three ingredients, plum blossom, Buddha's hand (lemon) and pine nuts, considered to be the essence of purity. purity, to which is added, in a perfect cooking, water obtained by collecting the snow that falls from the sky and has not yet touched the ground, also a symbol of purity. The second part of the poem describes the very subtle sensations experienced when tasting the Sanqing cha prepared in this way, savored in a Yue porcelain cup. Thus, the silk-like fragrance, the pure living water, a drink created by the gods, which can confer elegance and wisdom in the image of a great scholar of the Northern Song, Lin Fu, and allows one to reach a state of elevation and peace worthy of the Buddha. Every year, from the third to the sixteenth day following the Chinese New Year, a Sanqing cha ceremony was celebrated, to which all the high officials of the court were invited. This poem is also found on lacquer and jade cups The poem is also found on cinnabar lacquer and jade cups, all of the same shape, as it was designed by the emperor after a blue-white porcelain cup of the Jiajing period (15th century) kept in the Forbidden City. It was at his request that the two bands of ruyi were added to emphasize the opening and the foot, each ruyi motif depicting a plum blossom.