Chinese
Cup and Saucer, about 1821-1850
Porcelain with enamel glazing
This Chinese porcelain cup and saucer set is composed of a wide lipped bowl without handles that narrows to a shallow small foot. It is paired with a deep, wide lipped saucer. Both pieces are made of thin, white, porcelain with a small step in their tapering form. The interior and exterior of the bowl are decorated with stylized green lotus blossoms and vines below a border of gold block characters that are 15 different forms.of the “shou” (longevity) character. The saucer is decorated with three equally spaced small orange/red flying bats on the exterior and on the interior a band of gold block characters around the lip outlined in orange/red. They are 18 different forms of the longevity character. Inscribed on the base of the saucer: [Seal that reads "Ta Ch'ing Tao-kuang nien chih" (Made in the reign of Tao Kuang of the Great Ch'ing dynasty)]. Inscribed on the base of the cup: [Seal that reads "Ta Ch'ing Tao-kuang nien chih" (Made in the reign of Tao Kuang of the Great Ch'ing dynasty)].
Yellow Room
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.