Lot Essay
This 'lemon-yellow' enamel is a pastel tone mixed with white to achieve opaqueness. Its tone was derived from lead stannate (lead and tin), which was almost exclusively used for small cups and dishes
A similar pair to the present cups is illustrated by J. Wirgin in Chinese Ceramics from the Axel and Nora Lundgren Bequest, Stockholm, 1978, pl. 8 and 77 (or pl. 58a, no. 77).
Compare to a slightly smaller pair of Yongzheng lemon-yellow cups (7.3 cm. diam.), formerly in the E. T. Hall Collection, sold at Christie’s London, 7 June 2004, lot 267 (fig. 1); and a single Yongzheng cup in similar size and shape, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 29 May 2007, lot 1523, later sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, The Meiyintang Collection- an Important Selection of Imperial Chinese Porcelain, 7 April 2011, lot 32.
Another pair of lemon-yellow-enamelled cups of bubble shape, from the same collection as the present lot, was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, Celestial Brilliance- The Wang Xing Lou Collection of Imperial Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 30 May 2022, lot 2709 (fig. 2).
A similar pair to the present cups is illustrated by J. Wirgin in Chinese Ceramics from the Axel and Nora Lundgren Bequest, Stockholm, 1978, pl. 8 and 77 (or pl. 58a, no. 77).
Compare to a slightly smaller pair of Yongzheng lemon-yellow cups (7.3 cm. diam.), formerly in the E. T. Hall Collection, sold at Christie’s London, 7 June 2004, lot 267 (fig. 1); and a single Yongzheng cup in similar size and shape, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 29 May 2007, lot 1523, later sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, The Meiyintang Collection- an Important Selection of Imperial Chinese Porcelain, 7 April 2011, lot 32.
Another pair of lemon-yellow-enamelled cups of bubble shape, from the same collection as the present lot, was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, Celestial Brilliance- The Wang Xing Lou Collection of Imperial Qing Dynasty Porcelain, 30 May 2022, lot 2709 (fig. 2).