Large Tea Caddy with Interlocking Lotus and Phoenix Motifs
This large tea caddy is collaboratively crafted by a group of renowned masters, including Xu Zhijun — Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor of Qing Dynasty Official Kiln Famille Rose (Jingdezhen hand-painted porcelain craftsmanship), and Zhang Jian — Master of Overglaze Color and Gold-piling Craftsmanship.
It is decorated using multiple techniques: enamel painting, iron red coloring and gold piling, and requires
four separate kiln firings to complete.
The patterns include interlocking branch motifs, precious lotus flowers, flower basket patterns and more. In traditional Chinese art,
every pattern bears a meaning, and every meaning carries auspiciousness. The decoration is exquisitely detailed, with gentle and elegant hues that achieve perfect beauty.
Flower Basket Pattern
The flower basket pattern was extremely popular in the Qing Dynasty.
It symbolizes a hundred flowers in full bloom and great vitality, representing joy, celebration and victory.
Precious Lotus Flower (Baoxiang Flower)
The term “Baoxiang” comes from Buddhism, originally a respectful title for the dignified countenance of the Buddha.
The Precious Lotus Flower is an ideal floral motif that stands for purity, grace and elegance.
It does not refer to a single real flower, but a highly refined artistic design, synthesized and refined from elements of the lotus, peony, pomegranate and other blossoms.
The pattern originated and flourished in the Tang Dynasty, inheriting the Tang aesthetic of admiring fullness and national artistic character.
In the Song Dynasty, it shifted from a luxurious style to a more orderly and simple one. The interlocking Precious Lotus Flower pattern also appeared in this period, with stronger rhythmic dynamism.
Interlocking Branch Pattern
The exterior is painted with enamel interlocking branch patterns, with clear leaf veins, gracefully curled branches and leaves full of vivid dynamism.
Its continuous, unbroken structure symbolizes
endless vitality.
Phoenix Bird Motif
The phoenix bird motif is an ancient decorative pattern with strong national characteristics, evolving from the ancient bird totem worship.
The male is called
Feng, the female
Huang. In ancient mythology, it is regarded as a beautiful and magical divine bird that connects heaven, earth and humanity.
Enamel Painted Porcelain
Apart from its intricate and delicate painting, this large tea caddy requires four firings to complete, with risks in each firing.
In the Qing Dynasty, enamel porcelain was originally made exclusively for the appreciation of emperors and empresses.
Enamel pigments are special artificially fired coloring materials.
Before the 6th year of the Yongzheng reign (1728), they had to be imported from Europe.
After 1728, the Imperial Workshop of the Qing Court was able to independently refine more than 20 kinds of enamel pigments, marking the peak of ancient Chinese polychrome porcelain craftsmanship.
