This enamel-decorated chicken heart cup with lingzhi pattern is a collaborative work by Master Zhang Jian, a master artisan of Jingdezhen overglaze decoration and piled gold technique, together with several other master craftsmen. The porcelain painting on this cup features lines as fine as hair, of extraordinary delicacy.

The lingzhi pattern is one of the classic decorative motifs on ceramics in the Ming and Qing dynasties. As an auspicious herb, lingzhi was widely used in decorative patterns during the Ming Dynasty. The interlocking lingzhi pattern, combining lingzhi and creeping vines, symbolizes longevity.

The exterior of this enamel-decorated chicken heart cup is painted with interlocking lingzhi patterns in enamel colors. The veins of the Longevity Vine are clear and distinct; the lotus branches and leaves twist and curl gracefully, full of dynamism, with a gorgeous color scheme.

Beyond its elaborate and exquisite painting, the enamel-decorated chicken heart cup with lingzhi pattern requires four separate kiln firings to complete, with the risk of damage in each firing.

In the Qing Dynasty, enamel porcelain was originally an artwork made exclusively for the appreciation of emperors and empresses. Enamel is a special colored pigment produced by artificial firing. Before the 6th year of the Yongzheng reign (1728), enamel materials had to be imported from Europe. After that year, the Imperial Workshop of the Qing Court successfully developed more than 20 kinds of enamel pigments on its own.

Enamel porcelain represents the pinnacle of ancient Chinese polychrome porcelain craftsmanship.