CHINESE CORAL-RED-GLAZED GILT-DECORATED TEA BOAT
QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG MARK AND POSSIBLY OF THE PERIOD
Estimate: £1,000 - £1,500
Auction: 12 March 2025 from 10:00 GMT
Description
清 乾隆款或到代 珊瑚紅地描金纏枝蓮紋茶船
of boat form, the base of the interior painted with a stylised shou-longevity character, the shorter sides of the interior decorated with a bat facing inwards, the longer sides painted in gilt with a large lotus in tendrils, the exterior further adorned with lotus in tendrils, the base inscribed with a six-character Qianlong mark in iron-red
Dimensions
19.7cm wide
Footnote
In Tao Ya, the old man of Jiyuan in the Qing Dynasty mentioned that "A cup holder is called a tea boat. In the Ming dynasty, it was made like a boat. In the Kangyong (Kangxi and Yongzheng) period, the holder for a small wine cup was rounded and not hollowed, but the Song kiln was hollowed. The design over time has fixed the simplicity and clumsiness." It can be seen that the boat-shaped cup holder or saucer appeared in the Ming dynasty. Its purpose was to hold the teacup to keep the heat from the hands. Later, due to its boat-like shape, it was then named the "tea boat".