Hibiscus-shaped teacup in sweet white glaze, Ming dynasty, Yongle reign (1403-1424)-China Archive

Image Number: K1B017643N000000000PAE
Dynasty: Ming dynasty
Category: Ceramics
Function: Container
Material: Minerals/Ceramics/
Description:
Tea bell sunflower petal skimming, arc wall, short circle foot. The whole body is covered with sweet white glaze, the inner wall is without lines, the outer wall is decorated with double layers of large and small sunflower petals, and the valve vein and stem lines are drawn. The wall of the bowl is even thin and transparent, the inner bottom is slightly convex, the outer bottom and the ring feet are exposed, white and delicate, and the white glaze is as white as grease. Therefore, it has been known as sweet and white since the Ming Dynasty. It is sometimes called “white filling” in Qing palace records, which is similar to sweet and white. The Spot Check Report of this device was uploaded as: “White bodiless sunflower tea clock”. Yongle sunflower sweet white tea bell has a beautiful and elegant shape. It was made from the beginning of the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. In the 17th and 18th centuries, it was also widely used in the Japanese tea ceremony. Therefore, many of these thin bodied small tea cups were ordered from Jingdezhen or Dehua Kiln. However, the popularity of Kuikou tea cups probably started in the Northern Song Dynasty, especially in celadon systems such as Ru kilns, Southern Song official kilns or Ge kilns.