Inner Blue and White Flower Enamel-Decorated Tea Cup

This inner blue and white flower enamel-decorated tea cup is collaboratively crafted by Master Zhang Jian, a master artisan of Jingdezhen overglaze decoration and piled‑gold technique, together with several other master craftsmen.

The exterior is decorated with enamel-painted scrolling flower patterns, including scrolling peony, scrolling lotus and scrolling chrysanthemum. As the patterns connect end to end without end, they are known as “flowers of longevity”. The branches and leaves twist and curl gracefully, full of dynamism, with a gorgeous color scheme, and the outer wall is adorned with golden string patterns.

For its continuous, unending structure, it symbolizes endless vitality — hence the scrolling pattern is also known as the Longevity Vine.

Scrolling flowers were already painted on celadon water vessels of the Southern Dynasties, and were widely used on porcelain wares in the Song, Yuan dynasties and later periods.

Beyond its elaborate and exquisite painting, the Guyuexuan scrolling flower tea cup requires four separate kiln firings to complete, with the risk of damage in each firing.

In the Qing Dynasty, enamel porcelain was originally produced exclusively for the appreciation of emperors and empresses. Enamel is a special colored pigment made through artificial firing. Before the 6th year of the Yongzheng reign (1728), enamel materials relied on imports from Europe. After that period, the Imperial Workshop of the Qing Court successfully developed more than 20 kinds of enamel pigments, marking the pinnacle of ancient Chinese polychrome porcelain craftsmanship.